


WINGBEAT: OUT OF THE CITY WALLS

by eonator



Series: Wingbeat [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Adventure, Animal Death, Bisexual Characters, Death, Emotional Hurt, F/F, F/M, Found Family, Gore, LGBTQ Characters, M/M, Parent Death Mention, human death, light humour, trans female characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-05-27 19:21:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 26
Words: 28,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15031538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eonator/pseuds/eonator
Summary: Two countries. Acron and Eslium. Battered after war. The sudden appearance of mutated 'skinwalkers' heighten tensions between the two countries. Wren, a harpy with no memory and Ellyn, a Acron girl join together to prevent another war.But there is more that meets the eye.Secrets kept by everyone.Some are not even aware of the tales they hold.The power to protect or destroy everything they love.With the strength of a split soul.-Updated every sunday.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> 'The act of 200 years ago with forever ring. For eternity.'

1st January, 1640. 200 years ago. 

The oppressive hold of the night throttled the land in its grasp. Like a blanket, the darkness swallowed up any light daring to show itself at this time of day.

Rare bursts of light periodically flashed in the distance. Celebrations of the new year often came with fireworks, launching into the sky and spewing colour all around. For this one night, those lights were the only escape from the darkness, as they could be seen for miles, but most saw them up-close. Many parties were held in celebration, each with their own fireworks, however none were as impressive as the ones held in the city of Fremont. Funded by the royal family of the country, they were able to afford amazing displays, lighting up the sky with their glamour. However, they were also used as a show of power. Fears of war were trickling down the conversations of the people who lived there, wondering about their future of their country. This was one of the easiest ways of showing the power that the royal family still had. They were not the type of people to back down in the face of opposition. But, on this one night, those lights were met with the cheers of celebration and parties. 

Though the streets were clear, as soon as anything went past the gates of the city, it was covered in snow. Acron was a country known for its brutal winters, but those who lived inside cities or larger towns were often safe from the bitter freeze. However, the only natural area that was somewhat safe was the abundance of forests covering the while land. The marshy floor was powered with a light dusting of ice, and the canopies were sagging with the weight of the still falling snow from above. Most of the animals were either hibernating or staying warm and hidden, but the hoof-prints in the snow showed something was still stirring. Only ever seen in the glitter of the fireworks, a particular creature was walking through the forest, showing no apparent sign of being cold or tired. She looked like an amalgamation of many creatures. She had the body and head of a stag, fur a shade of gold, with white freckles spotting all over her, just like the snow around her. One sweeping pair of wings, which draped around her as she moved, also clearing away snow as she went. Though she had two front hoofs, her back-end was much more avian, with sharp talons delicately moving across the ground. She also had a large pair of tail feathers, much like a peacock. She also had five eyes, and four horns, the front pair like a deer, but the back pair curled like a ram. Three translucent rock-like structures also were embedded in her chest, however no sign of irritation was shown by the animal. After pacing for a few minutes, she was satisfied and finally decided to lay down and rest for the night. Her eyes were closed, her mood content as her ears only flicked at the fireworks in the distance. 

Her ears pricked at the sound of voices in the distance, the voices of people. Angry people. With a jolt, the Peryton sprang up and started to bolt in the opposite direction, sparks flying from her footsteps. Despite not feeling cold or tired normally, her chest expanded in hope to inhale as much air as possible, filling her lungs with oxygen, hoping to prolong her speed. After running for what seemed like for hours, she slowed down, as the voices behind her started to quiet. Hoping that they gave up, she craned her head to behind her, scanning the dark forest behind her. The hackles on her back slowly melting back into her fur, as she started to stretch her wings. 

That's when the sound of the shotgun echoed throughout the forest. 

Piercing through the right flank, pain suddenly rippled throughout her body. Animal instincts kicking in, she decided to run again, though the wound made her lame, with a jarring limp forming. In the haze of pain and terror, the slope in-front of her wasn't seen, hidden in the murky darkness of the forest. Stumbling down the sheer drop, the creature yelled in shock and surprise, as the rocks and twigs of the drop cut into her wings and back, forming bloody wounds and scrapes. Once she finally came to a stop, her neck and back was peppered with oozing wounds. Slowly opening one of her eyes, first unfocused and weak shocked back into focus as soon as she saw what was above her. 

On the edge of the slope, a group of people stood, all with light-boxes and shotguns. Draped with animal fur, the traditional wear of Acron people, and warm fleece, they all stood over, with the look of satisfaction and anger. Conversations murmured throughout the crowd. Talking about how this would finally get rid of the monster' and 'just how much money they're going to get out of this', but one person was different. The man at the front of the group had a look of sadness, which contrasted the excitement behind him. Clearly in his late twenties, the young mans red hair was ruffled and draped in sweat, beads forming on his face, between his oak eyes. After a few seconds, he massaged his light stubble before warding off the people behind him, before sliding down the slope, revealing his pocket-knife. Fear and understanding flashed through her eyes, as she used the last of her strength to protect herself, as her pelt started to glow weakly, with glowing vines attempting to raise themselves of the ground. However, as he got closer she started to understand her fate, but in a ditch effort to protect herself, she bared her teeth, much sharper than a deer, before lunging towards the young man. As they clashed, she sank her teeth into his left shoulder and he jabbed his knife into her chest, just between her rib-cages. Along came the sickening crunch and the sudden gasping of air. The man backed off, hurt but not in serious danger, with satisfaction glimmering in his eyes, but they soon softened in horror as the form of the animal he attacked changed. The Peryton, now in a much more human state glared up at him, her golden hair ruffled and contained in a plat. Blood dripped from her mouth, both from her wound and from the bite she took. She convulsed before falling on her side, Eyes still focused on her attacker. As she shook, the stones on her neck started to glow and shine, growing brighter and brighter, as cracks started to form on them. Mirrored by the fireworks in the background, a pillar of light burst from the forest, just before the man. The pure-white glare was too bright for any of the humans, who had to cover their eyes in fear of damage. It went as soon as it came, leaving a burnt hole around the man, the trees burnt and splintered. She was gone. Though the people started to cheer, the man just looked onward in sadness and regret. It was done, but it would stay with him forever. Only one sentence was able to come out, in a hushed whisper, cracked with grief and pain. 

"I'm sorry, Libitina"


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Its eyes were glued shut. It must've been blind.'

A soft blanket of snow covered the marshy forest floor. The cover was light, as most of the ground was hidden by the stretching canopies and the protection they gave. The air was still, its crisp embrace muffling the city a few miles away. Once inside, the loud drone of the capital was simply a memory. Small streams rippled around the rocks and snow, twisting and winding like a snake, no sense of predictability to where it would move next. For most days, the only noise was the ripple of water and the soft whispers of the forest animals. 

The silence was broken with a soft crunch of boots breaking the fallen snow, next was the hum of a tune, with had no structure or sense, being made up on the go. The first visual indication was the ruffle of hide and hair, then appeared was the young girl, pushing aside twigs and frosted leaves. 

She seemed to be the age of a young teen; her hair was navy blue, wrapped up in a plated tuck, settled at the back of her head. The style seemed frizzy, indicating the lack of brushing in the morning, this hair was obviously styled the day before. A swept fringe settled on her forehead, often displacing when she moved, so was often moved back into place with a free hand. Her skin was of a dark tone, warm and soft, like the colour of topaz. Her cheeks and brow were peppered with freckles, brought on by the bitter winter sun. Her eyes were round, with sharp eyelashes at each side. Pupils were a light shade of blue, sprinkled with dots of aqua. Around her neck was a large brown scarf, which settled on her coat, which was the likened to oat. Her left arm was bare, with the coat pulled up to her shoulder, but the right was kept hidden. 

She kept wandering the white forest before finally coming to a crack in the landscape. Natural stone formed walls, covered in moss and frost. Hanging over the rocks were small bushes, with ruby-red berries peppered over them. The young girl soon noticed the fruit, and with a crooked grin; slid between the rocks. 

It was surprisingly narrow, much more than expected. She rested her back on the right wall, and with her pocket knife, which previously was being kept in a petite leather sash on her belt; and stabbed it into the left wall. Once giving it a warning tug, the girl started the slow accent up the frosted crag, using her knife as a hook and resting her back on the other wall for support. 

The berries were cold, for sure. However, the tang from the almost-ripe berries soon overtook the pang of pain from the brain-freeze she immediately got after popping a few berries into her mouth. Legs dangling over the rocks, the girl was able to get a much better view of the forest, and signalled with a squawk of excitement was the sight of a herd of deer in a nearby clearing. Greedily shoving a few more into her mouth; the girl dumped the rest into her knife pocket, keeping the blade secure in her hand. 

The deer didn't even notice her. Well, she was quite proud with her hiding spot; a old fox borrow was the perfect place to rest and watch the wildlife. The overhang of the den also protected her from the snow and the wind. Slowly she took out some berries, and rolled them across the grass, slowly coming to the feet of the fawn. The deer soon munched on the sour berries, the greediness in their actions reflected the troubles of winter. Food wasn't always easy to find. 

The stream of thoughts running through her mind snapped with one sound. The sound of crunching bone. 

She hadn't even noticed her eyes closing, but they snapped open and darted up, frantic to find the owner of the sickening noise. As she found the origin of the noise, the gargle of blood rang through the forest. 

There it was. Laying on the snow, which was now stained red, was the bloody corpse of a deer. Its throat was shredded, but the quiet rasp coming from it still showed that it was still alive. Three massive gashes were spread across its body, and two massive paws splayed across it. Hunched over the body was a bear; or at least used to be a bear. Foam poured out of its mouth, spraying with each shuddering breath it took. Thick discharge crusted around its eyes or was it its eyes? The creature seemed to be blind. Eyes glued shut with mucus and blood. Its fur was matted, but it seemed unnatural it couldn't be natural. 

She already knew it wasn't natural. She fully well knew what it was. 

But at that moment the only thing she could do was suppress the urge to scream. Scream until her voice broke. 

It hadn't noticed her yet. It must be blind; only using its smell and hearing to navigate the world. She still had a chance. Regaining some sort of composure -maybe the adrenaline was kicking in-, she slowly got up, trying to make as little noise as possible, getting a better view of the monster.

It wasn't even eating the deer. Just ripping it to shreds. 

'Oh gods. I'm going to die.' 

The slip of words finally got the monsters attention. The weight of what she did crushed her; and with a swift turn, she pelted into the winter forest. She hadn't even got a few yards into the woods before the groan of branches and the gurgle of failing lungs sounded behind her. The first thought was that another deer had got killed, but something, something in her head screamed at her to turn around. 

The bear. It was convulsing in pain? Or was it just a nerve reaction? But it was hurt. Snaking from the ground was roots, all grouping up into one branch, which directly went through the chest of the beast. It couldn't move. It couldn't move! All it could do was wiggle pathetically, it was a almost pitiful sight- apart from it just killing a deer mere second ago. 

The sight of the monster immobilised washed a wave of relief over the young girl. Legs buckling, she went down to her knees, staring at the bear. Hyperventilating turned to laboured breathing, and shaking limbs slowly calmed. Head drooping, she took a deep breath; normality slowly coming back to her. 

That's when the shadow loomed over her. Looking upwards, she saw the back of someone. She thought it was a person? But, it didn't seem normal. The ruffle of feathers signalled that. Her eyes darted to the feathers drooping from the persons arms, then to her green hair. It seemed knotted and untamed. Then, she noticed the horns on their head, like a stag. The reminder sent a shiver down her back. 

The sigh that came from the person snapped her back into reality. Taking a sharp intake of breath, the person turned around. Two, no. Four eyes glaring in shock. It was a lady. Two large eyes, glittering like emerald, and two smaller ones underneath. The lady shuddered in surprise and embarrassment before rapidly turning around and preparing to run. 

'W-wait!' The lady froze. ‘How the hell did you kill that skinwalker? We’ve been trying for years?!’ 

She slowly turned back, slightly confused but now slightly less nervous. ‘What? What is that thing? It's been killing all the deer in the last month, I just haven’t been able to catch it in time.’Her voice was smooth but also raw. It was timid, but also had the assertiveness of someone with something to protect. 

The girl grasped onto the conversation, anything to forget what just happened. ‘Oh, they’re skinwalkers, I think they’re from elicum, mums not happy about them, though. Shes probably going to have to speak to..’The lady leaned down, she was freakishly tall.‘can you do something about it? They keep on killing everything’ Narrowing eyes, the lady glared straight at the girl, with a almost accusing tone. 

‘Look at me, if it could kill that deer then I’m stuffed, and seriously, what are you? The feathers, the horns t..the eyes??’ 

The sudden turn of questions about the lady shocked her, clearly not able to answer that question quickly. After a few seconds of nothing, just the ruffle of feathers, she finally spoke. ‘oh.. um.. I’m Wren. And honestly, I don’t know what I am. Hey, its getting dark and looks like its about to snow, why don’t I show you somewhere safe. You can go in the morning!’She clearly wanted to change the subject back onto the girl as soon as possible. 

The sudden mention of night made the girl groan and bury her face into her hands, shoulders sagging. ‘oh mums gonna kill me..’ The thought of that made her shudder, so quickly cheering up she piped up with a cheerful squeak. 'ah thanks..wren? My name is Ellyn, nice to meet you’

Wren only replayed with a 'hm.' but she wasn't annoyed. 

It was nice to have some company for the first time in 200 years.


	3. Chapter 2

'Do you know the answer? Or do you need more time?'

The young boy blinked at the older man, looking straight through him. 'Oh. Yeah, the answer is 140. Right?'. His voice was soft, but cracked at the last word. Sighing, the older man pushed himself from his seat, stretching outwards with a yawn. ‘Ok, that’s enough for today Rowan. I will see you in the morning for history.’

'Hm, sure.' replied Rowan, his fingers fidgeting with the oak pen on the table. Parchment sprawled across the mahogany table. The room was full of bookcases, up to the ceiling. The floor was made of varnished oak, but a soft wool rug in the middle of the room. The table was against the wall, with a large window above. It was closed, the orange glow of sunset transforming the room into a shade of citrine. But for Rowan, none of this mattered.

For Rowan was blind.

'Rowan, where is you sister?'

Jolting upwards at the sound, he spun his head in the direction of the voice, unsure if he was accurate in his movement. He instantly recognised the stern voice. His mother.

‘She said she was going out this morning to the forest of Anaman. But..she hasn’t returned yet.'

He waited silently for a few seconds before speaking again, 'Mum, are you alright?'. He couldn't see her facial expression, but what came to his mind was one of a worried mother. First, a sigh came before anyone spoke again. 'Ok. I will get people out to look for her in the morning, it's too dark and no use to anyone. Hopefully she booked into an inn or something. But I swear to-' She sighed once again, '-She is going to get a talk when she comes-'

Suddenly footsteps clattered into the room, 'Your-' the young voice spoke out. 'Ok! I'm coming!' Both the other voice and his mother quickly left the room, slamming the door shut in their haste. Leaving Rowan once again alone.

Exhaling a deep breath, he closed his eyes and returned to fiddling with the pencil.

'Ellyn, where are you?..'

 

* * *

 

Ellyn stayed still, focusing on the wood fire just in-front of her. The inky darkness of the night had already surrounded her, but there was a large enough ring of light from the fire for her to know she was nearby a cave in one of the other clearings in the forest. The moon was the only other thing casting any glow around her.

Since Ellyn was taken here by Wren, the harpy has stayed silent and still. Once she got the fire started, surprisingly quick despite the dampness from all the snow, she made her home of one of the trunks of the nearby trees and hadn't said or done much since then.

Ellyn was getting bored.

Taking a lit branch from the dwindling fire, she stood up and focused her attention onto the cave behind her. It had already got pretty dark by the time they got here, so she never really had the chance to get a good look at the place.

'Hey, what's in this cave?'

No response.

Taking the lack of response as an answer that it was fine to go inside, she wandered over to the cave. When she got closer, she noticed the sprawling vines across the maw of the cave, even in winter they seemed healthy and flourishing. The vines continued over the entrance, creating a makeshift curtain blocking any view into the cave. These vines were placed so specifically; too specific for something natural.

The memory of the corpse of the skinwalker flashed once again inside Ellyns head. The branch that stuck through its abdomen wasn't there when she was running, but only appeared when Wren arrived. Did she do it?

A shiver crept up her spine at the thought of it. Yeah, sure skinwalkers were unusual, but seemed to have a scientific cause. (They just didn't know what yet) But, the idea of plant manipulation and whatever Wren was made her head hurt. Shaking her head, she once again put her focus onto the cave.

Carefully moving aside the vines, she inched into the entrance of the cave. A small ruffle of feathers rang behind her, (so Wren did hear her!) but were easily ignored, as Ellyn was more focused on not letting the flame of the branch torch up any of the vines and plants surrounding her.

The inside was surprisingly small, the torch easily lit up the entire room, casting a soft glow. The walls were littered with carvings and markings, reminding her of old artwork she had seen in museums and even at home. They consisted of animals, mainly deer. The floor was covered in dry leaves, which ruffled with each footstep. At the side of the room, a blunt rock was placed at the base. Moss had grown over it, and vines snaked around it. It almost looked like a makeshift bed.

The reminder of beds finally showed how tired Ellyn actually was. Her feet were cold and wet and her muscles ached and stretched. Stifling a yawn, she wandered over to the rock.

It actually was softer than it looked, for a rock.

Hopping onto the side, she swung her legs over and curled onto the bed of moss. The plants were cold, but not uncomfortable. There was a slight dampness to the moss that made it soft and almost cushion-like. Before being able to fall asleep, the ruffle of feathers near her legs roused her.

'Animals have died there.'

Leaping of the moss with a yelp, Ellyn froze with her arms above her head. Like a scared rabbit.

'Wait what?!'

Her surprise was met with a snort and a laugh, which almost sounded like the wind rustling around the forest. 'Don't worry, I've already changed the moss. Its clean. I swear.' Wren was leaning against the caves mouth, giggling like a young child. But as quickly as she started laughing, her face turned cold. 'I didn't tell you to come inside here, you might've found something dangerous.'

Feeling sheepish, Ellyn quickly changed the subject. 'Did you make these drawings?' She lightly dusted her fingers over the painting, the sour tang of fruit clang to the air, she must've used berries as makeshift paint. Wren walked over to her and signalled her to sit on the moss with her, warmth now filling her eyes. 'Yeah, I really like the deer in this forest. I wanted to learn how to draw them, but as you can see, i'm not very good.' Though she was trying to stay calm, the harpies arms flapped slightly, as if she was trying to contain her excitement in the animal.

Sighing, Wren closed her eyes. 'I guess you deserve an explanation on what I am. But, i'm sorry. I can't give you that. I don't even know myself. I don't even know if I had a name before I decided to be named Wren.' Laughing pitifully, she rest a hand onto her forehead. 'It hurts, y'know. Trying to remember something you can't. This forest is all I know. I spend my time watching the animals and helping those who sometimes get hurt. That's why I have this moss bed, but I make sure it stays clean. I would like to go outside this forest, yet I've never had the chance to.'

'So you feel trapped here?'

Wren let out a hold breath, 'Yeah, I guess so.'

'I know how that feels like. But, I think you should get out of here!' Ellyn replied with a giggle. 'I mean, I broke free two years ago. I'm finally living as who I should be. It was hard, even scary. But, even though i've got a way to go, i'm finally me. So, you should also try something new, it will be scary but I know you won't regret it.'

Wren just stared at this girl in silence, but a soft smile grew over her face. Rising up, she put a clawed hand on her hair, before ruffling it.

'You're very mature, you know.' Said the harpy.

The praise flowed over the young girl, warming her heart and head. With a yawn, Ellyn looked down at the moss bed.

Wren noticed the tired look glazed over the girls eyes and her normally wary heart also warmed at the sight. Looking down at the girl, she placed a hand on her shoulder, with slight pressure.

'Sleep now, you'll need the energy tomorrow.'


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'At last she was here. Her mother.'

Outside the forest was cold, and brighter than inside the forest. The nights snowfall has covered the hills, fresh and crisp. Over the hills were occasional farmhouses and small towns, slowly coming to life in the morning sun. Small bundles of trees could be seen all around, not forests, but large enough for small groups of deer and horses to rest under, sheltering from the bitter snow. In the distance, a large wall could be seen, but from the distance it just looked like a small grey fence climbing over the hills. There was only one road, still covered in snow but the ground was well trodden and easy to notice. It snaked through the landscape, all towards the city walls.

With a snuffle, Ellyn trotted beside Wren. She skipped and ran, with the energy of someone who hadn't just spent the night in a cave. Despite the landscape being old territory to her, her eyes glittered like this was all new to her. The snow, the trees and the sights were all treated with awe and respect.

Wren walked slower, but due to being almost double the height of Ellyn, kept up easily. Her bare feet left deep prints in the snow, and the ruffle of feathers rang with each movement. She walked stiffly, obviously nervous at the situation she was in. It was all new. Wren didn't like new things, that was the whole reason she never left the forest for 200 years! Her eyes darted at every new thing she encountered. The sky was a bright blue, the sun shining harshly on her eyes.

Ellyn suddenly patted down her fur coat and looked for one of her pockets, with a ruffle of curse words, she plucked out a pair of gloves from the inner pocket of her coat. They were also fur lined, but made of much shorter fur, but the inside was made of long fur. Perfect for cold mornings.

'Ah, ah, ah- CHOO!!' Ellyn spluttered into her gloves. With a sniffle, she glared at Wren, who was now giggling at the young girl.

'Don't hate a girl for being cold!' The young girl defended herself, though she wasn't that offended.

Wren winked at the girl, 'I'm only messing with you. Don't worry about it!' The harpy then suddenly stopped, staring at the large monument before her.

A large stone wall.

The wall was massive, climbing into the sky and stretching across the land. Curling runes and markings covered the walls, images of people and creatures were depicted.

Ellyn ran Straight through the archway in the wall, skipping and twirling whilst she ran, so when she stopped she was facing directly at Wren. She threw her arms up, beckoning Wren to follow her into the city.

Wren wanted to. But it felt like her feet were stuck to the snowy ground. The air felt electric, raising both feathers and hair on Wrens skin. She couldn't see anyone else nearby, but it felt like millions and millions of eyes were on her. Just her.

She finally took a few steps, walking enough to be under the archway. Just a few steps away from Ellyn. The ground transitioned from snow and slush to cold pavement. Sectioned and made of brick. The sensation was new to her. Whilst focusing on the ground, Wren didn't notice the doors on both sides of the archway. Both opening.

Quicker than Ellyn could warn her, Wren was roughly tackled to the ground. Her head smacked the floor, her vision sparking and her head spinning viciously. A swarm of hands pinned her down, on her neck, wings and spine. She tried to struggle, but more and more pressure was put on her. Suffocating her. Crushing her. Through all of this struggle, she didn't feel the metal chain that was put around her neck. But as it made contact with her skin, she noticed it.

Her body seized up, unable to make a noise, just the gurgling sounds of someone unable to breathe or move.

Ellyn look back in horror and surprise, as she tried to go over to her new friend, security guards caught her and help her back. Trying to turn her away from the harpy and move her deeper into the city. The sound of wren struggling still filled her senses. She didn't care what everyone was saying to her.

'Where have you been?!'

'Thank the gods you're ok! We must tell the Queen!'

'Get away from the beast! It was trying to follow you!'

Ellyn yelled out, and twisted around everyone around her. She faced Wren, who was now curled up on the floor. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was gaped open, strands of saliva were drooling out. She couldn't control anything.

‘What is that? Help her!', screamed out Ellyn. She could hear someone sneer next to her ear. 'Oh, didn't you know? That's our new weapon against the skinwalkers. It blocks out the nervous systems of the monsters, it doesn't kill them but makes them easier to dispose.'

Ellyn stared wide-eyed at the man. Her stomach flipped as her turned back to Wren.

‘But she isn’t one of them? Why is it effecting her?? Get it off her!' Pleaded the young girl.

They kept refusing. Wren was moving less. Ellyn was getting more and more furious.

Ripping the final hand of her shoulder, Ellyn jumped away from the crowd and Stared at them, with the eyes of someone not her age.

‘As the heir to the throne and the princess of Acron, I demand you to release my friend, she saved my life and I have made a promise to help her!’

In the haze, Wren heard her and glanced up at the princess.

Begrudgingly, the chain was slipped of her neck. Wren hacked and coughed. She was tired, but fine. Before she could get aware of her surroundings, Ellyn ran up to her and almost tackled her in a hug. She was shaking, in both anger and relief. Ellyn muttered incoherent apologies, nuzzling her face into the feathers of Wrens arms. Wren placed a weak hand on the girl and brought it up, so she was now facing her. Her eyes were half-lidded and tired, but warm.

'What's going on here?'

Ellyn froze. She looked like a child who knew they were going to get a scolding. She slowly turned around to see the person she was dreading to encounter.

The Queen.

Her mother.

Ellyn's mother looked very similar to her daughter. She wore a militaristic coat, adorned with medals and titles. Her eyes were also strikingly blue like her kin. Her hair was dread-locked and tied in a bun. Her skin was slightly darker than her daughters, with wrinkles around her eyes and forehead. Her left arm was distinctly metallic. Wrapped around her arm were ribbon and tape, adorned with the countries flag.

The woman was standing behind the pair, looking down on them from a few stairs above. 'Who is this?' She spoke, her voice was deep and smooth.

Ellyn jumped up, and stood up tall. 'Oh, h-hey Mother! How are you doi-'

'You've been missing for two days, and you have the cheek to say hey?' She placed one hand on her hip. 'I ask once again. Who is this?'

Ellyn sighed, 'Shes a friend! Please! I'm fine and she helped me and its all ok!' She could hear Wren standing up behind her. Still coughing.

The Queen just stared. For what felt like ages.

Then she sighed.

'Ok. I trust you. But shes still being arrested, just to keep an eye on her. Now, Ellyn get cleaned and put some new clothes on. You're filthy.'

Ellyn laughed sheepishly, 'Then I need to have a talk with you.'

She stopped laughing. 'Oh jeez.' She whispered.


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'they had a busy week ahead of them.'
> 
> Join the Wingbeat discord!  
> https://discord.gg/3aFMbnb

'This is...different.', thought Wren. She had been placed in what the others had called a 'cell'. The guards has escorted her to a underground keeping and placed her in a small cell. It has a bench and was contained with metal poles. On the outside sat two guards. One was reading a newspaper. Wren had been kept her for over a hour by now. She was getting bored.

She noticed the young lady reading the newspaper. It was written in a language she didn't understand. Swallowing the nervousness that was brewing inside her, she piped up.

'Um, when can I be let out?' She asked. The lady turned to her, ‘Wen’ the Queen sez so, its not mah’ choice’ was all the lady mumbled. She was more focused on her paper.

Wren sighed. This was getting nowhere. She slumped back onto her bench, but before she got comfortable she heard the metal door unhinge and the two guards quickly stand up. She didn't take much notice until the male guard spoke.

'Oh! My princess! Welcome.' He stammered.

Wren looked out to see Ellyn. Her hair was now loose, which now naturally formed ringlets and curls. Her hair fell to just below her shoulders. She was wearing a baggy shirt and similarly baggy trousers. In her left hand was a cup of piping hot coffee.

She walked to her door of Wrens cell and leaned onto it. ‘Oh hay wren, how ya feeling’, she tiredly slurred. She had the usual cheerful air around her, but she spoke with hesitation. The man took his work partners newspaper and deeply laughed.

‘The missus gave you a tough time eh?’ He jeered at the young girl. She only replied with a nervous giggle.

‘Oh mum wants to speak to you, follow me!’ Ellyn said to Wren, changing the subject.

* * *

 

They were both outside the Queens office. The building was full of dark oak and mahogany seats and chairs. Ellyn had changed into a more professional dress, but her navy hair was still loose. Wren was in handcuffs, which she was given once leaving the stairs, to make sure she didn't cause any trouble.

Now, in front of them was a large pair of doors, probably also made of oak. Wren kept looking back at Ellyn, who was calmer now. But, Wren was internally freaking out, that lady seemed scary. What would happen to Ellyn? Or herself? Would she have to go back to her forest, or become a prisoner forever.

Her rolling chain of thoughts were broken by the booming knocking of the door. Ellyn only tapped the door, but the sound rattled through the room. Then there was silence.

'Come in.'

Ellyn looked at Wren, then opened the door.

The office was smaller than expected. The floor was dark oak, matching the single table at the end of the room. Behind it was a large stained glass window, the mix of colour reflected onto the floor, making the surrounding items look like jewels. Two plush chairs sat before the table, inviting anyone who came inside. The walls were adorned with portraits and taxidermy. Papers were sprawled over the table and A single pot of tea was placed on the side.

Sitting by the table was the Queen. Ellyns mother.

Wren was surprised when she saw the lady once again, her eyes were soft and almost seemed welcoming, a stark comparison to the cold matriarch seen before. She nodded at her daughter and waved a hand to the pair of seats.

‘Ah, hello. So you are the lady how saved my daughters life.’ She said to Wren whilst she shook hands with the harpy. Wrens skin warmed under the compliment, she wasn't used to it but liked the feeling.

‘I must admit, I’ve never seen anyone like you before.’ She enquired further. Despite seeming warm and welcoming, the Queen still had a air of restraint around her. She kept professional and nothing seemed to faze her, even the harpy sitting in-front of her didn't make her bat an eyelid.

'So, Ellyn told me everything that happened. Though what she did was very foolish, I think we can use this. Use you to our advantage. But also from what she said, this benefits both of us.’

Wren was confused, what did she mean? She flickered her eyes to Ellyn, who was drinking from her coffee. She seemed relaxed, so Wren concluded that she needed to be calm. She slowly looked back to the Queen, who was staring at her with determination and passion in her eyes.

'Ok. Let me explain more. Remember that thing you fought in the forest? That bear thing? That is what we call a *skinwalker*. They're alive, but also dead at the same time. They can be anything, any animal that their little parasitic hands can grab onto. We know where they came from, they're the sentry and defence for the Country next to us. Its name is Eslium. However, they've been getting more aggressive over the last few months. We don't know why, and I don't want another war starting.' She took a sip of tea from her cup.

'So, that chain you were to accustomed before? We use those to help deter any from coming inside the City walls. It doesn't kill them, but blocks the connection from the host and whatever Eslium made to control them.' With a clap of her hands she stared straight into Wrens eyes.

'This is where you come in. That chain effected you, despite the obvious fact that you aren't a skinwalker. That makes me wonder if there's a connection between you and those creatures. Ellyn told me that you wanted to find out more about your past and origins. I want to keep my country safe. If we worked together, this would benefit both of us.'

Wren was lost for words. This whole scenario overwhelmed her, but also excited her. She might never get this chance again!

Her mouth was dry, but she forced herself to speak. 'What do you want me to do. Mrs..'

The Queen laughed, 'Hun, call me Alice. What I would like to do is form a deal. I want you, Ellyn and two of my more trusted allies to travel to the capital of Eslium, Eden. Speak to the ruler of the country, Athena. Hopefully work out whats going on and sort it out without any conflict.'

Alice took out a thick piece of parchment from one of the drawers on her table and started to scribble down words. During this Wren noticed something she didn't see before. Her left arm was metallic. The upper arm was plated with two silver plates, which connected to the elbow, with was a metal joint adorned with screws. Wrapped around her arm was a selection of ribbons and strings, all adorning flags, bringing colour to the silver prosthetic. Alice noticed Wren staring at her arm and stopped writing for a second.

The Queen sighed with the trigger of past memories. ‘Oh this? I lost my arm when commanding our army during the 100 year war, I ended up getting this arm in the Dagr valley. Acrons hot-spot for limb replacement and healing. Oh, the medic that will be joining you is from there! She actually helped me through the healing process.’ When she was speaking about this medic, Wren could've sworn she saw the Queen blush softly.

After a few minutes she stopped writing and folded the parchment, giving it to a maid nearby. With a clap of her hands she stood up, looking down on the two.

‘Ok! If my planning does to plan, you will be ready to set off in one week. This note will be given to the boarder control at the edge of Eslium. After reading it, there will be no problem in getting in and to speak to the Ruler. I can’t go, and Ellyns brother cannot either, but there will be enough of you to be able to safely get to eden and talk with her, I hope what is going on is either a mistake or miscalculation, which can be easily sorted out, but if it seems deeper than that, you both have my permission to investigate as much as you can. That might help give you the answers you want wren, and for that could you protect Ellyn if any skinwalkers appear.’ Alice spoke with a hint of desperation, but it was easily covered up with her usual bravado.

Ellyn inhaled and let out a huge yawn, which was the cue for everyone to finish. Alice allowed both Ellyn and Wren to go to the sleeping quarters, for they had a busy week ahead of them.


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘Hm, cat got your tongue? You were happily biting my head off a moment ago.’
> 
> Join the Wingbeat discord: https://discord.gg/3aFMbnb

‘I’m back Squirt!’

Ellyn practically kicked the door open, gaining a yelp in response from her spooked brother. Rowan was sitting on his bed, flipping and folding a sheet of parchment in his hands. He took a deep breath when he realised who had barged into his room, raising his head at the direction of the noise.

His eyes stayed unfocused as Ellyn trotted over and ruffled his curly hair, only groaning and attempting to swat his sister away from him.

‘I’m only a year younger than you, don’t treat me like a kid.’ Rowan groaned, hiding that he had worried about her all day. ‘But, I guess its good to see that you aren’t dead in a ditch.’

Ellyn reacted with feigned offence, ‘How dare you! I’ll have you know I made a new friend. And it isn’t a deer this time!’ Ellyn noticed the paper in her brother’s hands. ‘Hm? Have you been writing anything recently to your special someone? Oh, what was his name? Oh! Its Cedric’s brother, Alfie!’

The mention of Rowans infatuation quickly silenced him.

‘Hm, cat got your tongue? You were happily biting my head off a moment ago.’

Rowan recovered from his embarrassment and snorted with laughter. The paper previously in his hands now were folded into a paper plane; without looking he threw the plane out of the open window next to the bed. Ellyn ran over to the window and whistled as she watched the plane fly thorough the sky and finally hid one of the guards on night watch outside.

‘Oh! You got it really far this time!’ She yelled from the window.

Rowan's white eyes narrowed with suspicion. ‘You sure you’re not just saying that because I can’t see?’ His question was met with heartily laughter.

‘Like hell I’d do that, if it was rubbish I would tell ya!’

Rowan just replied with an exhale of breath before the room fell silent again for a few seconds. The only sound was the tapping of Rowan's fingers and Ellyn’s deep breaths.

‘Oh, mum said you’re going on a trip soon. Better you than me, it’s way too cold out there for me and there’s things I need to take care of here.’ Rowan finally spoke, is voice lifting near the end.

A cheeky expression lit up Ellyn’s face, and with one swift movement flung herself onto the table, practically making Rowan jump out of his skin. ‘What things?’ She blurted out, loving how much this was annoying her brother.

Rowan coughed before speaking, quickly changing the subject. ‘So… I heard about that thing you brought home today. Wren? Was that its name?’

Ellyn rolled over and flicked his nose, getting a yelp in reply. ‘Her name is Wren, and she’s really nice!’ She was already getting defensive over her new friend. ‘And anyway, she’s just timid. But, you’re meeting her tomorrow, so you can find out for yourself.’ Rowan just replied with nervous laughter.

‘Yeah, I’m going to bed.’ Rowan slurred tiredly, before freezing in place. His white eyes still with fear. Ellyn turned to see what the issue was but was interrupted by the voice of her brother.

‘Oh no.’

‘What?’

‘Where’s fidget?'


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Spinning around, she tore her eyes to the thing making the noise.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being a day late! life got in the way whoops. This is a short chapter but next weeks is much longer!

Wren sat on the bed, staring at the room she was in. The guestroom she was given was rather large, with floral walls lit up by gaslight lamps near the large door, with small moths flying nearby, causing the light to flicker around the room. She sat on the edge, fingers practically sinking into the soft bedspread spread over the large bed, it was red and velvety. 

Wren spent a few minutes laying over the bed before getting restless. The room was starting to feel stuffy and the balcony attached via a glass door kept on looking more inviting by the second. With a grunt, she swung herself up and wandered to the glass door. Before opening it, she rested her face on the cold glass, enjoying the chilling sensation it gave. 

Once she went on the balcony, she got a good view of the City she found herself in. The large building she was in was covered in stone and stretched upwards towards the sky, it was raised against the rest of the city, as it was formed on a large hill. Small houses were placed in rows that climbed the hill, joined together by cobblestone streets. Each house had slate roofs and small dim lights inside. What was most interesting though was the large stone walls that surrounded the whole city. They were so high, even from the balcony Wren couldn’t see the countryside. 

Cold, bitter winter air rested on her face, cooling and soothing her skin and feathers. However, the sound of scratching tore her from the thinking. 

Something was behind her. Before turning around, she started to wonder what was behind her, fear quickly raising inside her. 

Spinning around, she tore her eyes to the thing making the noise. 

A cat. A small tabby cat. 

Her hackles and feathers slowly softened once she saw the maker of the noise. The cat was swiping at the glass door, trying to get out. Wren noticed that behind the cat, the wooden door was slightly ajar. Relaxing, she opened the door for the feline. 

The cat rushed out onto the balcony and flung itself onto the balcony next to Wren, its golden eyes staring intensely at her. However, once it landed a high pitched ‘meep’ was squeezed out from it. 

It trotted over to Wren, purring vigorously before sitting, asking of attention. 

She hesitated, mind trying to catch up with the days events and now this new cat. But she soon relaxed and placed her hand onto its head.


	8. Chapter 7

'You called your cat fidget?'

At each word Rowan cringed more, both due to his sisters excitement and the shame of his secret being found. Ellyn didn't notice, she was too excited to care. 

'When did you get a cat-how did mum allow you to get one?’ Ellyn jeered, already knowing the answer. She enjoyed seeing her brother squirm at her questions. 

Rowan tapped his fingers together in a repeated motion. 'She doesn't know yet.' 

With the confirmation of the truth, Ellyn swung her head back in a hearty laugh. ‘Oh you’re not going to be the golden child for much longer!’ She teased him, but her face turned serious in a flash. 'Good luck.'

Rowan swayed back onto his back with a dramatic sigh. 'I'm going to die.' His dramatic reaction was once again met with laughter, and a snort this time. 

The oak door creaked open and the now usual ruffle of feathers could be heard. However, now an extra few footsteps could be heard. Wren and Fidget soon came through the door, Fidget bolting for Rowan and Wren shuffling awkwardly towards Ellyn. 

Wren stared at Rowan for a few seconds, noticing the fact that he didn't notice how out of place she looked. But after seeing his pale eyes, she came to the conclusion that he couldn't actually see. That somewhat calmed her nerves, at least there was someone else who wouldn't judge how she looked. 

Wren looked over to Ellyn, who had a crooked smile on her face. 'So...What are we doing today?' 

'I'm taking you to see Cedric! He's coming with us on the trip, he's a close friend of the family.' Ellyn turned to her brother, who was shifting awkwardly in the background. 'Oh don't worry. You're coming too.' Rowan blushed furiously and cupped his face in his hands. 

\---

The three found themselves outside a large house. It was a 10 minute walk from the Castle, down the hill and across some roads. The outside was a pale yellow, with cracks and chipped paint seen around each window. Large wooden beams could be seen encasing the house, with a small balcony on the side and a large blue door, with a metal cast knocker. 

Ellyn was the first to walk to the door, knocking with force unexpected from someone her size. 

There was nothing at first, but soon enough many voices could be heard from inside, varying with speed and pitch. Soon enough, a deeper muffled voice could be heard, telling everyone to move away. 

The door opened to reveal a dishevelled man in his early 20's. He had curly red hair, which mirrored the stubble on his face. His eyes were soft, with deep dark circles underneath both. What was strange was his eyes, the left was a bright icy blue, whilst the right was a darker, oak brown. Behind him was a group of Five children, all ranging in ages. Some barely able to walk, others nearly becoming teenagers. However the muffled voices behind him hinted at even more inside the house.

She couldn't point out what, but something about him was concerning for Wren. She didn't understand, but something made the feathers on her arms rise and her hackles tense. 

She almost recognised him, but not sure where from. 

Her distress was quickly driven away, as she came more aware of what was around her. Ellyn quickly lept into a hug with this man, he was certainly double her height, so she was easily swung around when she came in contact with the man. After the quick swing, she turned around and introduced Wren to this new man.

'This is Wren! Shes coming with us on the trip. Wren, this is Cedric! He's pretty relaxed, hopefully you'll get along just fine!' 

After being introduced, Wren mustered up as much strength as she could so she could look at him, every feather and hair was screaming at her to run. 

'H..Hello.' Was all she could say. 

\---

'Bird!'

Wren stammered, 'I... I'm not a bird.' 

Three children stood around the nervous harpy, the youngest being just over a year old. They all had the same bright hair like their older brother. The oldest of the group, who must've been around Five, shone a toothy grin at Wren. He shot a pointed finger at her. 

'You have feathers! You are a bird!' 

Before she could reply, the group returned to chanting 'bird' at her, almost in a cult-like manner. 

Wren turned towards Ellyn, who was sitting on the sofa with Cedric, and mouthed the word 'help me', Ellyn just smiled smugly and waved at her. 

Ellyn sat on a plush sofa, near the back of the living room. It was surprisingly large, the walls adorned with the heads of animals and scattered with family photos. The whole area was chaotic, but that was expected with Six people living there. The room led to the dining room, which Rowan and Alfie was sitting. Rowan was very obviously blushing and Alfie was giggling, also flushing red. His hair was also red, but longer, almost able to be put in a plat. Despite never being interested in relationships, Ellyn was happy her brother was seeking love and was proud of her little brother. Standing on the table was a little radio, the sounds produced was scratchy but undeniably human. 

She turned towards Cedric and rested her chin on her hand. 'So...Who's gonna be looking after the young-in's?' 

He sighed and glanced at the younger ones, 'I'm getting one of our Aunts to take care of them, I...I don't want to leave them but, it's my job. Y'know? I gotta, it's hard but I need to stay positive.' He flashed a bittersweet smile. 

One of the brothers trotted up to Cedric, wearing a large knitted sweater. 'Ceeeeedric, can I play outside?' 

He sighed, before placing a hand on the young boys head. 'It's getting dark. It's not safe enough for you to be outside.' He turned towards Ellyn. ‘Even if that wall is mean’t to deter those monsters, there’s still rumours of some sneaking in, the smaller ones. It's still dangerous.'

Just before the boy was going to leave, one of his sisters ran over. Her face swollen and red with tears. She wimpered and sniffled as she got to her older brother. Cedric stood up quickly and cupped her head in his hands. 

'Kathy. Whats wrong?'

It took a few seconds of wimpering before she spoke. 'It's Tom. He's...He's gone!' 

Wren stood up, 'Who's that?' She practically yelled in shock. 

Cedric was frozen in fear. 'That's one of my brothers. He's only twelve.' 

They all turned to the kitchen. There stood the back door. 

Open.


	9. Chapter 8

'Hey. Hey! Its going to be ok.' 

Wren crouched around the young children, who were either about to cry or already were sobbing. She needed to keep everyone calm, the loud noise of crying wasn't needed right now. Not now, she couldn't bare to also experience that. 

Cedric stood up, ran over to the table where Rowan and Alfie were sitting. 'You two stay here. Just in case Tom comes back.' His voice was strong and firm, but his body quivered with fear. His eyes flickered back from room to room, and his shoulders were raised. 

The two boys nodded and waited for Ellyn to get ready, she needed to tie her hair up and prepare her trusted dagger, just in case something happened. After a few seconds she popped her head around the corner into the living room, flashing a thumbs up. 

Cedric nodded in relief, draped his thick coat over his back and grabbed a large rifle, which was kept above the fireplace. After swinging it over his back, he thumbed around for bullets in the nearby shelf and hastily reloaded the gun. 

'Ready?' He murmured. Wren and Ellyn both nodded in agreement. 

They all went out of the front door, into the bitter and cold night. 

\---

The three walked through the street, the only light coming from the houses and the dirty oil lamps sprawled down the roads. Ellyn held onto her knife tightly, keeping her hands near her face, warming them with her shaky breath. Her eyes flicked to Wren, who stayed quiet and kept staring forwards. 

'You ok?' She asked, tilting her head slightly. 

Wren kept looking forwards. 'I'm sorry. It's my fault.' Wren leaned forwards, hunching over herself whilst walking. 

Ellyn narrowed her eyes at the harpy. 'Don't be silly. Just.. Keep focused. We need to find him.' 

Ellyn saw Wren smile from the corner of her eye, but pretended not to notice, not wanting to embarrass her. 

A loud scream stopped all three in their tracks. Ellyn went to call for Tom, but was quickly quietened by Cedric, who covered her mouth. 

'Shh.' He hissed, trying to pin-point where the yell came from. Before Ellyn could retort another scream rang through the air. This time it was louder. 

The voice came from the alleyway nearby the group, between two houses. Cedric sprinted towards the alley, leaving the girls behind. When they both caught up, the scene both shocked and warmed their hearts. 

In the corner was a young boy, sobbing uncontrollably. He was quickly dragged into a tight embrace by Cedric, who was whispering inaudible things to him. Slowly, his cries turned to hiccups, then to soft murmurs, as the boy started to calm down. Tom let himself be wrapped up by his older brother, who effortlessly picked him up like he was a young child. He didn't even protest, but instead curled his head into the crook of his brothers neck, shielding his face from the others. 

Ellyn looked onward to the siblings, warmth filling her from head to toe. She couldn't resist thinking about her brother, she might've not be able to pick him up, but still would fight the earth to protect him. 

Suddenly, she could feel something watching her. She twisted around to see a small shadow light up behind her. 

A adult fox stumbled towards her. Its tail and body were patchy with fur. A large wound snaked across its body, from its left shoulder to its hind leg. It didn't bleed, it was too old. Instead, gummy fluid coated the wound. In the moonlight, Ellyn swore that she could see maggots swimming inside the wound. Realising, her blood ran cold.

It was a skinwalker. 

Unlike the bear, its eyes were still open. They weren't shut yet, however thick mucus surrounded the eyes. The creature would be blind soon enough. Its jaw swung open, flopping around whilst the creature walked. It slowly stumbled around, then locked eyes on Ellyn. 

'RUN!' Ellyn yelled, but before Cedric or Wren could react, the fox bolted at her and tackled her straight in the stomach. She stumbled and collided into the wall behind her. Her mind sparked as she slumped against the cold stone. 

Wren yelled at her friend, asking about her safely before turning towards the creature. The fox shook its head before turning towards the harpy, foam starting to layer and coat its ripped mouth. 

The harpy dropped to her knees and slammed her hands onto the ground, trying to sense the earth, so she could sprout a vine to contain the creature. 

She felt nothing. Only the cold pavement under her. 

Ellyn winced and called at her friend, 'What are you doing? Impale it!' She slowly got up, unharmed. 

Wren just stared at the ground. 'I can't...Feel it. I'm..Useless!' She muttered, bitterness lacing her voice. She didn't notice the fox edging closer and closer towards her. Maybe she didn't care. Ellyn was unsure. 

'Wren! Run! Please!' Ellyn pleaded, but was ignored. 

The fox kept edging closer. Soon, it started to run towards the Harpy. 

'Please! Come on!'

BANG!

The fox just slumped over. Ellyn, breathless, looked over to Cedric, who now was standing up again. In his hands was his rifle, smoke streaming from its end. He was breathing heavily, eyes narrowed with intense anger. 

'Stay away from my friends you bastard.' He hissed through bated breath. 

Both Wren and Ellyn were shocked silent. 

The man turned towards the two girls, his face now its signature softness. He flashed a tired smile at both of them. Tom was holding onto his right hand, staying close to him. 

Cedric glanced over to the fox, who was still slumped over, but the shallow rise and fall of its chest still indicated life. 

'Lets go home.'


	10. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Queen experiences some painful memories from the past.

_14 years ago ___

__A faint candle was the only source of light in the food store, inky shadows snaked at the corners of the walls and shelves. Each shelve was adorned with labelled jars, cured meats and selections of fruits. The room was rather large, considering just being for storage. Outside was a large kitchen, usually busy with cooks, was now almost silent. All workers had gone home, only the moths and mice now lived there._ _

__However, in the storage, someone was rummaging through the storage, looking for something._ _

__Coated by the shadows, was a heavily pregnant woman. One hand on her stomach, the other now holding a punnet of cherries. Without guilt or shame, she tore into them, with the hunger that only a pregnant women with cravings could do. After eating a few, she turned around and rested her back onto the stone wall, relishing in the cool comfort the cold stone gave to her._ _

__Every few minutes, she would sniff and cough into her metal arm. Her dark cheeks where tinted with a red hue, her breaths heavy from the high fever she had at this moment. Yet, she continued to eat cherries, ignoring her symptoms of illness._ _

__After some time, the door opened once again. In the middle of the door-frame, was a man, a similar age to the woman nearby. He leaned on the frame, with a cocked smile flashing on his face. A large beard covered his face, his hair woven into locks, tied into a beautiful plat._ _

__'Hey, Alice. You look like hell.' His voice was joking, but tense nerves laced his face. He pulled up a chair from the kitchen and flopped onto the seat, with little effort or care. He went to touch his wives stomach, but flinched as she started coughing again._ _

__Once she stopped spluttering, she turned towards him. 'I feel like it.' Her voice was deadpan and very rough._ _

__The man laughed, before plucking a cherry from the bowl that Alice was holding. She tried to protest but quickly stopped to carry on eating once again._ _

__'I just got the little one to sleep, he's a fighter just like his mother.' His eyes softened, as his wife replied with a hearty laugh._ _

__The laugh soon turned into another coughing fit. She doubled over, trying to cover her mouth and hold the bowl at the same time._ _

__His eyes widened and he knelt down to his wife. 'Are you sure you're ok? Do you need to go to bed?' His voice shaked slightly._ _

__Alice held up her hand, signalling that she was fine. Slowly getting up again, she exhaled a deep breath._ _

__‘Nah! Its just this stupid bug I’ve got, it just gave me a cough and a rash, its most annoying around here.’ She said, pointing at her metallic arm._ _

__He just tilted his head. ‘Well, if it becomes more serious I’ll send Willow to you. I don’t want anything to happen to you or the baby.’ After exhaling, he kissed his wife's bump and got up, twisting to face the door as he stood up. He flashed a warm smile as he walked out of the room, before yawning and scratching his beard as he left._ _

__Alice stared out of the room, before placing her hand back onto her stomach._ _

__'Shh. You're gonna be fine, you've got your family with you.'_ _

__\---_ _

__Alice sat in a plush chair, staring intently at her youngest child. His eyes were a cloudy white, unfocused and blown-up. He sat on her legs, too young walk himself. He was 3 years old. Despite his age, he had a large mop of hair on his head, curly and frizzy like his dad's. Alice smiled, warmth flooding her body as she looked at him._ _

__She turned to her left to see her older child. They were playing with the maids in the room, trying on their dresses and glasses. Being around 4, (nearly five as everyone would be told) all the maids and workers had fallen for the young child, spending more time spoiling them and playing rather than actually working._ _

__Another lady stood before Alice, stethoscope around her neck, signalling to her to give the child to her. Alice quickly snapped out of her thoughts and carefully passed him over to her._ _

__She was around the same age as Alice, and a close friend. Her ashy-blonde hair was wrapped tight in a napkin, and her clothes were covered with random medical equipment. She didn't hold him roughly, but rather clinically, securely but with the apathy of someone who had done this many times before._ _

__Alice quickly heard the patter of feet and once again turned her head, to see her oldest child hanging onto the armrest, swinging whilst giggling._ _

__'Hey, didn't I tell you to stop doing that?' She sternly said, raising an eyebrow._ _

__With a giggle, the child spoke. 'But muuuuum! I've been behaving today! Oh! Oh! Mum guess what?' They were shaking slightly, only barely containing their excitement._ _

__'What is it?'_ _

__'I decided!' They blurted._ _

__'Decided what?'_ _

__'I wanna be Ellyn! I wanna be a girl!' She nearly yelled._ _

__Alice paused, before picking her up and plopping her onto her knee. 'Is that so? Did you get that name from Grandmother Ellyn?'_ _

__Ellyn nodded vigorously, nearly shaking her head of her neck. 'I wanna wear dresses, grow my hair and.. and have tea partys!'_ _

__'Don't you already force the maids onto those?' Alice joked, getting a giggle from her daughter. She kissed her daughters forehead before letting her go back to playing._ _

__As Ellyn scampered away, Alice lifted her head at Rowan. 'So?' She murmured._ _

__‘Despite you having rubella whilst being pregnant, hes been very lucky. Cataracts can’t be treated but he should live a normal life.' The lady said, with a genuine smile on her face. She gave the child back to his mother before excusing herself._ _

__As Alice watched her leave, a maid entered the same door, with a nervous and dim expression. She stopped in-front of the queen before bowing._ _

__'Speak your case?' Alice mumbled, slightly annoyed._ _

__She gulped deeply before speaking. ‘My Queen, I have arrived with unwelcome news. During the latest skirmish on the boarder against Aslium, His majesty.. he..suffered serious wounds..and..died in battle.'_ _

__Everything went still._ _

__Her stomach felt like it was just punched. Her body trembled. She felt scared, shocked and.. Alone._ _

__'Thank you. You may leave.'_ _

__As soon as the maid left, Alice just crumbled and hid her face in her hands. What was she going to do? She was alone. He was gone. He would never see his children grow up, he never even knew he had a beautiful daughter. She closed her mouth, smothering the whimpers trying to seep out._ _

__'Mother?'_ _

__Alice almost jumped at the voice, before knowing. It was Ellyn. She was innocent, didn't even know what was going on. She didn't deserve this, nether did her brother._ _

__Alice stood up, Rowan balanced against her chest, she turned towards Ellyn, who was staring curiously, before bringing her into a tight embrace._ _

__'Mother? Are you ok?' Ellyn whispered, tears forming in her eyes, not knowing why._ _

__Alice just hugged tighter, trying to keep hold of her family._ _

__'My two dear children. I promise, for as long as I can, I will protect the both of you and care for you as long as I can.'_ _

__Ellyn didn't understand, so she just held onto her mother tight._ _

__\---_ _

__The knock at the door jolted Alice, who was drooling over her table. She slowly rose and looked outside the window._ _

__'Oh. Its dark, I must've dozed off. Oh, come in.' She said to the person outside the door. Unsurprisingly, a maid entered the office._ _

__The maid bowed before speaking, 'I've just arrived to inform you that both of your children have arrived home safely and are both going to the resting quarters.' The maid was ready to leave before freezing in her place. The Queen, was crying._ _

__'Pardon me, but are you ok?' She asked, staying still._ _

__Alice didn't even notice the tears, she quickly wiped them away and flashed a smile._ _

__'Yeah, just had a dream.'_ _


	11. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was late, as usual.

The table groaned as Ellyn slugged her bag onto it, which was made of deep red leather and adorned with thread-work and buttons. She hastily ran around the room, picking up clothes and anything she deemed useful for her trip. Building a sweat, she had to catch her breath when she noticed her brothers dry laugh. 

'Why do you need to bring your own clothes? Can't you just get someone else to do it. Then you maybe wouldn't be late.' He muttered. Still lying on the bed in his nightwear. 

'It's not my fault! I overslept, and anyways, I wanted to choose what I wore. I want to make a good impression! Not many of us are going, just to make sure no suspicion arises.' Ellyn said, trying to contain her excitement. 'I can't believe this! I've never been out of the country!' 

'Good for you. Its 3am. I want to go back to bed.' Rowan huffed before turning his back towards his sister. 

'Alright then, grumpy-head. I'll see you soon.' Ellyn whispered, warmth coating her voice. She softened her eyes and she gave fidget one more pet before hoisting the bag on her bag. As she opened the door, she took one final look at her brother. 

'Sleep well, little brother.' 

\---

Ellyn bolted for her mothers office, almost falling down the stairs on the way there. She finally made her way to the familiar large oak door that led to the office. She hesitated for a second, before knocking and letting the sound reverb through the room. After a second, she pushed it open. 

As she went in, Ellyn bowed and quickly apologised for her tardiness. As she looked up, she saw her mother and the people who would accompany her on this journey. 

One the far right was Wren, who was sheepishly leaning on the wall, but her face glowed when she saw her friend arrive. She quickly walked over to Ellyn, smiling brightly. 

'I'm so glad you're here now, I hardly know anyone else here!' Wren whispered to Ellyn, who giggled back. 'Well, you know my Mother and you met Cedric two days ago. That woman over there though, that's Willow.' Ellyn continued to whisper, a crooked smile forming on her face. 

'Willow?' Ellyn murmured, looking at the lady. She had Ashy-blonde hair, with grey peppering it. A cream coloured cloth was tied around her hair, keeping it somewhat neat. She had two massive gloves on her hands, made of the same cream cloth, which went up to her elbows. Her shirt was orange, cut off at the shoulders. A large belt swung around her waist, which contained multiple vials and boxes, full of medical equipment. She wore large, brown cargo trousers, which were tucked at the ends into her large leather boots, which clacked with every step. Everyone was aware of her; she just didn't care. 

'Yeah. Isn't she scary? Apparently she was a army doctor over 30 years ago!' Ellyn muttered to Wren. She looked over to the lady, but once they made eye contact, it felt like daggers were being pushed into the back of her skull. Wren went back to looking at Ellyn. 

Before they could start talking again, another voice rang through the air. 

Alice had stood up, and now was looking at the group before her. 'Now everyone has finally arrived, I can finally start this meeting.' 

Ellyn blushed slightly, but luckily no one else noticed. 

Alice took out a large map from one of the many drawers in her table. She sprawled it out with clinical perception, her arm creaking against it. 

'It's going to be a two day trip before you get to the nearest large town. There will be a train station there, which will take you to the boarder of the Country. Using the letter I wrote, you should be able to be taken directly to Eden afterwards. Once you are there, you need to find out why they keep on attacking us.' Alice explained, though her voice started to shake near the end. 

Cedric suddenly jolted, eyes flickering at everyone. 

'Wait. Two days? Does that mean we have to sleep in the rough? What about the skinwalkers?' Cedric exclaimed.

Ellyn laughed. 'You afraid? You worry too much! And anyways, we have Wren to protect us.' Ellyn looked back at Wren, who was blushing, and winked jokingly. 

Alice rolled up the map, before giving it to Willow. 'Ok. We have two hours before sunrise. You all will proceed to go then.'

Everyone turned to the Queen, all bowing. 

'Good luck.'


	12. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Join the official discord! 
> 
> https://discord.gg/VJxEhTW

The moonlight glowed onto the dank alleyway, reflecting onto the three figures standing inside. Two were standing, one crouching.

The crouching one shook slightly, a slight gurgle bubbling in their throat, soon met with the sound of wet liquid thrashing against the hard floor underneath. More coughing, more liquid hitting the floor. The pattern continued for a few more seconds, ending with the body sagging and falling into the puddle, their clothes dipping and staining red. The chest rose, then sank for the last time. 

The person standing above the body panted heavily, like a tired dog, before turning to the person next to them. They was resting on the opposite wall, staring out into the street before them. Hardly concerned, spending more time looking at their nails rather than looking at the body. 

'Ok! Ok! I'm, i'm done! Let's go! please!' She slurred, her tongue not used to forming words. The younger girl spun around clumsily, like a drunken, and stared with anticipation. Her hands were held up, pinned close to her chest, drenched with blood. 

Her wrists were deeply scared, stretching around like a web, before connecting to her unnaturally long fingers, which all teetered of to a single sharp point, also dripping with the red liquid. They were hairy, a bright red, rough and wild. 

The only thing that stood out was her eyes, which glittered in the moonlight. They were unnatural, wild. Almond shaped, they were narrow and distinctly inhuman. 

‘Hey, Ruse! Try to be more cleaner next time, try not to mess up your dress again with blood.’

The second lady walked up to her, her voice firm, but the pat on Ruse's head showed affection to the beast. She was much taller, slim and solid, with a smooth head with no hair. 

Ruse nodded, or rather jolted her head, before proceeding to lick her hands clean. 

‘And yes, we are done. Now follow me, please try not to make much noise. And, pull your hood up again. No-one wants to see your face.’ She roughly pulled her hood up, which hid her friends face. Ruse made a feral yelp, but the continued to stay quiet. 

The lady took a few steps, before stopping once again. She turned towards Ruse, her diamond-yellow eyes shining with excitement. Ruse soon caught on and started to grin. 

‘Oh. We got a new job. Something to help prevent your.. outbursts. Well, not really _help_ , but it will stop you killing pests in the streets.’ 

‘Oh! Oh! What?’

The lady grinned, a long, reptilian tongue slid out. 

'We've got some security work to do.'


	13. Chapter 12

‘Ok, so we have enough supplies for the two day trip, but we’re going to need to get more food at the next town’ exclaimed Cedric, who was looking down at the map that Ellyn had open in her hands. She had her hair up in a wrap, wearing her usual fur coat and trousers. 

Wren just nodded in agreement, she wore a knitted shawl covering her head and shoulders, awkwardly stretched over her antlers. She was walking next to Willow, who was mainly examining her belt or staring into the distance. She had said nothing since they started travelling that morning. 

They had crossed the moors, still covered in patchy snow, but now were walking down a long pebble road, separating the snow and lush land. 

'Ok!' replied Ellyn, in a sing-song tone. She suddenly burst into a sprint and ran to the front of the group, doing a little twirl in the middle. She burst into a snort and giggle, she was so excited to leave the country. 

Willow sighed and pressed her forehead. ‘You do know that this isn’t a holiday, hope you’re ready to try diplomacy when you get there.' She didn't even look up when she spoke, soon falling silent again like she never spoke in the first place. 

Ellyn dramatically threw her hands up, a small smile forming on her face. 'Oh gods! The woman finally speaks!' Ellyn slyly turned her head back, waiting for a response. 

Wren and Cedric exchanged glances, unease forming in their stomached. 'Here we go again..' He muttered under his breath. 

‘Well if you get mauled by a skinwalker don’t come crawling to me, I only agreed to this because the queen is such a good friend, when she gives that look I can’t say no.’ Willow nonchalantly said as she fumbled with some jars on her belt. A slight blush formed on her olive skin as she mentioned the Queen. 

Everyone walking in silence for the next few minutes, unease weighing heavily around them. After a while, Ellyn perked up and pointed into the distance, a smile forming on her face once again. 

‘Ah! There it is!’ 

Once they got to the top of the hill, a small building came into view. 

It was a warm cream colour, made with bricks, but the front had a plaster coat spread over it, with slight cracks forming around the windows, which jutted out slightly. A small out house was built to the side of the building. On the second floor, a large sign reading 'inn' was hung up. 

Cedric sighed with fervent relief, 'Ah, so we don't have to camp outside!' A smile started to form on his face, but he quickly realised and shot a glare at Ellyn. 'How did you know this was here?'

Ellyn turned around to look at him and winked coyly. 'What? Did you think I spent nights outside when I went exploring?' That would be stupid.'

'Going out on your own already was stupid.' Whispered Willow under her breath. 

Ellyn ignored her and ran to the door, which was a dusty green. She knocked rapidly and stood back, a poker face forming. 

A few seconds passed before the door creaked open, revealing a shrivelled old lady. By her feet was a mountain dog, despite heeling, she nearly went up to her chest. Panting heavily, the dogs large eyes drooped softly. Its back was pitch black, but its face and stomach was white, dappled with golden brown spots. 

The dog looked up, shook itself to stand up, before rushing out of the door. 

Cedric wasn't even able to make a noise before the large dog tackled him, dragging him to the floor. Everyone turned around to look at them, Ellyn quickly bursting into laughter. 

'Ah! Stop licking me!' Pleaded Cedric, who was at mercy of the massive hound, who was licking him rapidly, her tail wagging. 

Willow deeply sighed before walking to the older woman. ‘Hello, do you have a room spare for four travellers?'

The other lady didn't say anything, just narrowed her eyes, before turning to her dog. ‘Come in. Mitty. Leave.’ 

The dog whimpered before getting up and returning to her side once again. 

Cedric was finally able to stand back up, but soon crouched down to get to Ellyns height, whispering in a worried tone. ‘Do we really have to go here?’ He muttered under his breath. He swiped the drool of his face, before looking back at the Inn. 

Ellyn giggled, sticking her tongue out in a playful manner, 'Well, you could stay out here. Just look out for skinwalkers!' She playfully teased. 

'On second thoughts, i'm gonna join you guys.'


	14. Chapter 13

Willow stood by the front desk, which really just amounted to a hole in a wall, which connected the front room to a smaller one, which could easily be assumed to be the owners living quarters, a door connected the two rooms, but it was closed. There was a chair, table and a small fireplace. The old lady stood on that side, and Willow stood on the other. Both were conversing, talking about prices and what rooms they could book. For all the old lady knew, they were just a group of travellers. Royalty meant nothing here. 

Behind Willow was a larger room, which must've been the entrance and where the guests could relax after a long day of travelling. There was a larger fireplace, lit and crackling with fire; two large sofas encompassed it, perfect for warming up in the snow. 

Ellyn sat with Wren, on the left side, and Cedric sat on the right. Alone. 

They didn't say much, just savouring the warmth from the fire. It seemed like Mitty was doing the same, as the dog lounged before the fireplace, tail wagging slowly. 

Ellyn was enjoying the heat, before noticing something about Mitty. She prodded Wren and faced Cedric. 

Mitty was licking a wound on her front paw. 

'Hey, guys do you see that cut on her paw?' Ellyn said, curiosity lacing her voice. She crouched near the dog, trying to inspect the wound more, but the dog suddenly growled at her, warning her to back off. 

Ellyn jumped back, raising her arms to her chest in defence. 

‘It does seem clean and there is no bleeding, but clearly she doesn’t want anyone messing with it’. Concluded Wren, placing one hand on her chin in thought. 

Cedric laughed, 'Well would you?' He questioned in a joking manner, before hoisting himself up and making his way towards Willow. 

Ellyn sighed, before letting her eyes wander once again, finally setting on a rifle on the fireplaces mantelpiece. It was old, but seemed to still work. 

\-----

Ellyn focused her eyes on the ceiling, trying to will herself to fall asleep. She was in a bed, confined to a room with the rest of her group. She slowly turned her head to the side, everyone else was sleeping, even Wren. However, the slight twitching of her feathers hinted to her just resting her eyes. 

She just couldn't get comfortable, either the bed was too scratchy, or she couldn't get into a good position for sleep. After a few minutes, she just huffed and buried her face into her pillow, whining slightly. 

Something gnawed at her mind, whirling and twisting like a snake, coiling itself around her brain. It wouldn't go, despite how hard she would will it to. 

Finally, she came to terms with it. She was going to be Queen one day. 

As the thought entered her mind, she could feel the muscles tense, her breath quicken and her eyes start to prick with moisture. However, after a few seconds, she shook herself and composed herself. 

'That's not gonna be for a long time', she concluded. After calming herself down, she was able to finally close her eyes.

A dull thud jolted Ellyn awake again. She outwardly sighed before another thud rang around the quiet room. Her stomach twisted with fear as she slowly rose upwards, darting her eyes all over the room. Everyone was sleeping. 

The sound came from downstairs.


	15. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somethings wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the hiatus! uploading is now back to normal!  
> Warning for gore and description of vomit

As Ellyn slowly walked down the stairs, her eyes flicked all around the room before her. The lights were still on, despite being so late in the night. Candles and oil lamps shone in the twilight, small moths fluttering around them with anticipation. 'Maybe its for late arrivals?' Wondered Ellyn, quietly muttering under her breath. It was quiet, the stillness of the environment made her shiver. The fireplace wasn't as bright as before, only a few embers still flickered inside it.

As Ellyn entered the front room, she had seen no-one, even Mitty. She spent a few seconds scanning the room, before noticing the living quarters from before. Despite only being seen from the hole in the wall, the door that was closed before was now wide open. Ellyn craned her neck to get a better view, but could only see slightly into the room. However, she could see a table in the doorway, knocked over, large claw markings raked through it.

* * *

'Somethings wrong.'

 

Wren paced around the room, her feathers fluttering in the stillness. In the darkness, she scrambled around for a lamp, lighting it up with shaking hands.

 

'Come on, come on you stupid thin- Ah!' She muttered, finally succeeding to lighten up the room.

 

Wren turned around, to see Cedric, who was sleeping in one of the chairs in the room. Her senses told her to run, but she pushed those thoughts down, before walking over to the man. With a quick jab, she shook the mans shoulder. 

 

'Guh.. What?' Cedric slurred, a dumb look covering his sleepy face. However, he soon jolted awake once he saw the large harpy leaning over him. 

 

'Oh, what do ya want?' Cedric questioned, as he rubbed his eyes. 

 

Wren's eyes darted around the room, before finally settling on the door. Open. 'Ellyn's not here.' She whispered.

 

Cedric laughed slightly. 'She probably just went to the toilet. What? Don't you know what that is?' He jokingly added, but soon went silent once he saw her face. 

* * *

 

Ellyn had to cover her mouth, just to smother the scream trying to get out. As she stood in the doorway, she slumped onto the wooden frame, which creaked with the force that she fell onto it. 

 

Her body felt stone cold, and her eyes were frozen still. Moving her hands from her mouth, she cradled her head, muttering to herself. 'hah..hah..' she breathed heavily under the pressure and fear. 

* * *

 

'We need to go!' Wren hissed under her breath. 

 

Cedric had no choice but to follow her. Something in her eyes compelled him to agree. Something feral.

* * *

 

The sound of gurgling, hushed breaths ripped Ellyn out of the stupor. She hesitated, but finally looked down at the scene before her. 

 

Before her, was the old lady. Sprawled out on the ground before her. Initially, she thought the old lady was dead, she should've been. She had been torn apart, large gashes and bite marked dotted her whole body, from her neck, to her legs. However, the largest wound was on her stomach. Ripped and torn, fleshy lumps and mounds poured out of her stomach. Her guts were exposed, torn and ripped, like a chew toy. Blood streamed out of every single wound, but the mix of blood and the bile created a concoction of something hellish, causing a rank stench to fill up the room. 

 

Soon enough, the smell got too much for Ellyn. With a rapid jolt, she hunched over, unable to control the vomit that came out. Dark blotches started to enter her vision, causing her to squint at the floor below her. 

 

After finally being able to control her breathing, she looked back up to the woman. She wasn't moving now, not anymore. Bitter relief filled the young girl as she realised that the woman wouldn't be suffering any more. Soon enough, her vision started to turn normal. 

 

Ellyn jolted once she heard footsteps behind her, too scared to look, she stood still, trying to keep her breathing quiet. They kept on getting closer, but something surprised her as she kept listening, there wasn't just one person behind her. before she was able to turn around, something grabbed her shoulder and quickly encompassed her in warmth and feathers. 

 

Ellyn knew who it was straight away. 'Wren..' She breathlessly said. 

 

Wren held onto her tightly, resting her chin on the girls head. 'I'm so sorry, you didn't deserve to see something like this.' She cooed softly. After having a few seconds of silence, she opened her eyes and looked to the side of her, where Cedric was standing. 'Who did this?' He grimaced, covering his nose and mouth with his spare hand, the other holding his rifle. 

 

'I may have a good idea on what did it.' Wren continued, pointing to the open door leading to the outside of the inn. 'Probably a skinwalker. There was no sign of eating, so it isn't likely to be due to a hungry wild animal.' 

 

Cedric cocked his head. 'What do you mean?' 

 

Wren locked her eyes onto him, fire blazing within them. 'They don't eat their prey. They hunt for fun.'  


	16. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some warning guys-  
> blood  
> gore  
> vomit mention  
> enjoy!

Cedric quickly averted his eyes, biting his lip in thought. After a second, he opened his mouth, but closed it again without saying anything. Instead, he slowly made his way outside. 

Ellyn looked up at Wren, who was staring into the darkness outside. She narrowed her eyes before speaking. 'We should probably follow him.' She said. Wren nodded, but a slight smile started to stretch up her face.

'But first, wipe your face. There's still some sick on you.' Wren instructed to Ellyn, a warm expression forming on her face. In this moment, all four eyes were open, staring down at the young girl.

Ellyn blinked, before laughing and wiping her face with the back of her hand. 'Thanks.' She whispered. Wren placed a tender hand onto her shoulder, and they started to make their way outside.

They suddenly stopped when a yell rang throughout the air, outside.  

* * *

'We need to get outside!' Commanded Wren, as her grip on her lamp tightened. Originally kept to her chest, she stretched her arm outwards to project the light further. Turning to Ellyn, who was nodding, they made their way outside.

At first, they couldn't see anything, it was too dark outside. But after a few seconds, the mixture of the lamp and their eyes adjusting to the darkness, their vision got slightly clearer. Ellyn stood closer to the door, Wren stood in front of her, in a protective stance. After moving her lamp around, she noticed a silhouette to the right of them. Wren squinted before widening her eyes in shock.

Stood in the slush of snow and mud was Cedric, who was leaning on his knees, breathing deeply. His face was looking down, but at the noise of the girls appearing, he whipped his head up, almost like a scared animal. One eye was still open, the chestnut brown of his right eye. The other was closed, as two large cuts raked down the side of his face. they weren't deep, but enough to bleed hard. Blood was also dripping down his scalp, as if chunks of hair and skin had been ripped out.

Ellyn looked over, a flash of anger flushed over her face. 'What the hell happened, Cedric?' She yelled.

Wren looked over to speak, but a fear suddenly washed over her, just like when she first met Cedric. 'No! Not here!' She thought.

'Be quiet!' Hissed Cedric, who motioned a  _ shh _ to Ellyn. 'It might come back!' He muttered.

'What might come back?' Questioned Wren, who was trying to avoid eye contact, she was just staring at the ground.

Cedric groaned before placing a hand to his face, sighing. 'Mitty. It was Mitty. It became a skincrawler.

Ellyn thought for a second, before widening her eyes in shock. 'That cut on her paw. That was from a skinwalker!'  

'It just leaped at me when I came out. I have no idea where it went.' Cedric sighed.

The patter of feet rang through the still air, Cedric froze, before closing his eyes in acceptation. With the only warning being a caterwaul, Mitty rose from the shadows, its mouth frothing. Without hesitation, Mitty lept and attached itself onto his shoulder. The weight of the dog easily brought the man to his knees. Cedric slowly opened his eyes, staring right at Wren.

_ BANG _

Mitty staggered back, whining like a puppy. Sticky blood oozed from the wound on the dogs head, or what was left of it. The left side of the dogs head was concave, the bullet rupturing and exposing the brain of the skinwalker. After a few more steps backwards, the dog jolted and finally flopped over.

Without hesitation, Wren dropped to the floor and quickly covered the dog with roots, keeping it contained.

Wren breathed out a rattled sigh of relief, before turning to the door of the inn. Her shoulders drooped with sadness as she looked.

Ellyn stood in the doorframe, rifle in hand. Smoke billowed from the weapon. Her eyes were wide, frozen. It took a few seconds for it to register in her mind, she soon started to blink and focus onto the harpy before her. Her eyes grew tired, and a soft smile formed on her face. 'We better wake Willow up, Cedric needs to get patched up.' She quietly said.  

 


	17. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to lighter times.

The warm morning sun stung into the slush and snow on the concrete floor of the train station. The atmosphere was chaotic, full of people entering and exiting. Despite being the only station in the country, it was pretty basic, with only one track. The entrance was slightly raised, with stone stairs stretching down to the ground of the small town. Outside, stood Willow and Cedric, who now had padding and bandages around his left eye and arm. He was completely patched up.

‘They were meant to meet up up 10 minutes ago, where the hell are they?' Muttered Willow, who was glaring at her wrist watch. All of their baggage was slogged around their feed, hiding them. She slowly looked at Cedric, expecting a reply. All he did was shrug and wedge his hands into his pockets. Willow sighed before continuing to look out for the others. 'Are you sure you're okay to come? It's too late now but you could've gone home before.' Willow muttered. Cedric didn't reply.

* * *

 

‘What about a skirt? Oh! Oh! Or some shorts??’ Blabbered Ellyn, who was eagerly looking through clothes. Wren sat nearby, resting her back on the wall of the shop. It was pretty quiet inside, so she didn't need to worry about fitting in. She sighed, before seeing the clock on the wall. ‘Hey we needed to be back 10 minutes ago, Ellyn c-could you speed up?’ Wren stammered, looking over at the young girl, still gawking at the dresses and shirts. 'Yeah, yeah i'm nearly done!' Ellyn chirped, sticking her tongue out playfully.

Wren sighed, before going back to fiddling with her feathers on her arms. Finally, Ellyn rushed over to the counter, payed with hastily thrown money, before rushing out to the door. 'Come on slowpoke!' She yelled from outside. Wren jolted up before rushing out to catch up with the girl, 'That's rich of you!' Wren yelled.

* * *

 

The train creaked into the station, steam flowing out of it's pipes and tubes. The doors were all manually opened, with people quickly rushing out of the compartments. The front of the train was a deep green, and the compartments were painted a bright red. After a few minutes, everyone who needed to got out, and mostly everyone who needed to get on did so. Mainly everyone. Just before the last door was closed, the clattering of footsteps and yelling caught the attention of the station attendants. So, luckily all four were able to get onto the train before it left for Eslium.

They were able to get a empty compartment, hidden away from the world by oak doors, which rattled and slid slightly with the motion of the train. It was pretty tight, but luckily all of the baggage was able to be snugly held above the seating, allowing for some leg room. Ellyn sat with Wren, whilst Willow sat next to Cedric, sleeping against the wall of the compartment. His teeth gritted in his sleep, indicating a nightmare. But, he didn't move much, so no one really noticed. Apart from Ellyn, who was staring at the man, deep in thought, become jolting and smacking a hand to her face, sighing deeply. She looked up, and whispered to the other two woman near her. ‘Oh damn, its only just hit me about last night. Are we sure we should be even taking him?’ Ellyn hissed, leaning down and resting her hands on her knees. She blinked at Willow, expecting a answer.

Willow sighed, rubbing her brow. A collection of chicken scratch notes were sprawled over her lap. ‘Well he insisted, and its closer to Eden now, I’ll make sure to get another doctor to look at him.’ A slight look of defeat flashed on her face, but it was quickly covered by her usual bravado and sternness.

Ellyn quicky perked up, a mischievous grin crawling up her face. ‘Oh do you know the doctors there?’ She excitedly chirped.

Willow once again sighed, this time a light laugh was mixed in.

‘Not all doctors know each other Ellyn’.

* * *

 

’30 minutes before reaching the Acron boarder, please make sure your personal info is out and ready to be checked by our inspectors.’ Played the intercom throughout the train. The noise stirred Ellyn, who was dozing on Wrens wing. A small line of drool dropped out of her mouth, but she quickly rubbed her face before anyone else noticed. 'Nng!' Groaned Ellyn, as she raised her arms in a stretch. Then, she exhaled deeply and gazed around the compartment. Wren was quietly talking to Willow, who had a rare smile on her face. Whilst talking, the medic was fiddling with some jars on her belt. To her side, Cedric was now awake. He seemed to be finally eating, softly munching on some bread and dried meat. He still had a bandage around his arm and near his left eye, which was still squeezed shut. Still sleepy, Ellyn spent a few more seconds just staring into space, before bolting up with a smile on her face. ‘Oh! Um guys, lemme quickly do something’ She blurted, putting one finger to her nose, her whole tone was secretive. Before anyone to speak, she rushed out of the compartment, slamming the door in the process.

Willow slowly turned to Wren, in confusion. 'What is she up to now?' She muttered. Wren just shrugged in agreement. Willow then turned to her belt, which also contained a small pouch. 'Well, I better get the note that we were given.' She said, more to herself than Wren.

After a few minutes, the doors shuddered and slid open.

With a twirl, in came Ellyn. She paraded around the room, continuing to skip and twirl throughout it. On her head was now a fabric band, with flowers made of cloth dotted over it, golden and orange coloured. Her hair was still the same however, with plats wrapped around on the back of her head. She was now in more casual clothing, suitable for the warmer climate of Eden. Instead of animal pelts and thick coats, she wore a loose blue shirt, with a cream toned jacket slung over her shoulders, so long that her hands were nearly covered. Her legs were now bare, a navy blue skirt wrapped around them. However, she still had her belt, which contained her pocket knife. Instead of her usual jodhpur shoes, she wore brown slip-on shoes.

Willow blinked slowly at the girl. 'Well, it looks flashy.' She bluntly said. Wren glared at her for a second, before turning to Ellyn, her eyes were glimmering with excitement. 'I like it! You look really good!' Wren blurted out, a wide smile forming on her face. Ellyn then turned to Cedric, whose eyes were slightly open. He mumbled something similar to a agreement before going back to sleep.

‘Thank you Wren, Willow I guess? And you’re a lost cause Cedric’. she playfully teased the group.

* * *

 

Click clack.

The sound of footsteps rang throughout the marble rooms. Slowly getting louder.

Sitting at her office, A older woman raised her head at the sound. Her hair was a silvery shade of white, wrapped up in the tight bun. Her clothes were loose and soft, made of expensive silk. Her face was narrow and slightly wrinkled. On her left, was a man of similar age, with a wispy black beard and a glassy scar that ran from his neck to his arm. He stood slightly hunched, supporting his weight over a stone stick. On her right, was another woman, who looked younger. Her skin was red, like it was severely sunburned. Her eyes were wide and eerie, bloodshot and nearly as red as her skin. Just below her neck was placed a emerald stone, carved to be a diamond. She stood with a air of smugness, her eyes often flicking to the man with smug distaste.

A rasp knock at the door, also marble, ended the silence.

The older lady took a second to clear her throat, before calling out, her voice smooth and her accent thick. 'Come in.' She commanded, soon being face to face with a young lady, holding a letter in her dainty hands. 'A letter from the southern station, Ma'am.' She told the lady. After handing the letter over, she quickly left the room, with nothing else being said.

She said nothing for a few minutes, taking her time to read the letter. Her eyes flicked over the paper, narrowing in thought. Afterwards, she carelessly flung the letter onto the table, before sharply turning the the woman on her right, a small grin forming on her face.

‘Robin,’ the red girl perked up, ‘Would you care to bring them here?’.

Robin started to laugh, her voice husky and rough. She started to move away from the table, revealing her ruby-red wings branching from her arms and her horns on her head, curled like a rams. She finally stopped in front of the table, and with a curt bow, she locked eyes with the Woman.

'It would be my pleasure, Athena.' She softly said, the eye on her forehead finally opening. 


	18. Chapter 17

The sun harshly flooded over the small town, brightening and warming up the small country settlement. Terracotta tiles burned red in the sunlight, contrasting to the bright white walls of every building. Small pebbles littered the floor, clacking and rattling in the evening rush. People constantly flooded out of the station, spreading out into the town before them. The mountains of Acron were merely in the far distance, still covered in snow. Horse carriages walked in rotation, picking up people to and from the station. Just outside stood vendors selling a range of exotic food, adorned with fruit and spices. The scent of fresh bread intertwined with the smokey stream pouring out the station.

In the crowd, Ellyn stood before stretching her arms and back in a lazily fashion. 'So hot..' She dozily mumbled, slowly closing her eyes in the hazy afternoon sun. She slightly opened her eyes when she heard Wren quietly giggle at her complaints. 'I'm glad you find my suffering funny!' She jokingly complained.

Willow deeply sighed, though a small smile flashed on her face. She dug into her belt pocket, finally bringing out the map they needed. 'It's not even that hot Ellyn, you'll survive.' She lectured, stone-faced. Ellyn just whined in response, before arguing back. 'That's not fair! You're from the Dagr valley! It rarely snows there!' Willow didn't even respond, she just carried on reading the map. 'If we walk, it should take a few hours to get to Eden. Luckily, the train goes quite far into Acron. There isn't any danger of skinwalkers, so we can camp outside for tonight.'

Ellyn just whined in reply. Wrens attention was brought to Cedric, who had been quite quiet since the attack a few nights before. He just stood there, limply holding a hand over his left eye. The other eye was lidded, almost like he was sleepwalking, not really mentally there.

'You alright?' quietly asked Wren. Though he scared her sometimes, not even sure why, she still didn't want him to suffer.

The man jolted in surprise, his open eye flickering at the Harpy before him. After a few seconds he calmed down and finally answered. 'Y-yeah. My eye just stings a little bit, probably got scratched before.' He mumbled.

Before Wren could reply, the sound of hooves clattered behind her. Surprised, she hastily turned around, seeing a large carriage behind her.

It was much larger than the others around the station, painted white with red ribbon and framing. It clearly was much more expensive and private compared to the others, which ruby curtains behind the doors.

Before anyone could react, they were all quickly ushered inside.

Inside was even fancier than the outside. The seats were large and plush, made of soft leather. The walls were intricately hand painted, showing scenes of the seaside and mountains. It was completely empty, apart from someone in the corner, who was staring into a small pocket mirror.

It was Robin. Her horns and feathers were fully exposed. Her clothes were stiff and tight, leather covering her arms and neck, a single green stone was embedded on her chest. A tight corset wrapped around her waist, also made of leather. Green beads flowed from her hair, rattling with every movement. She wore a small cloth skirt, but her legs were also covered in brown fabric trousers. Her legs twisted and curled underneath her, crossed like a young child rather than a lady that she obviously was.

She quickly looked up, her eyes flaring in curiosity.

'I was told that you would be here, Your royal highness' She slyly enquired, her voice as smooth as silk. A small smile snaked across her face.

Ellyn was taken back by the strange lady, she focused her eyes on her face, tracing every single part of her in curiosity. Quickly, she glanced over to Wren, who was just as surprised. With a cough, she tried to compose herself. 'Yes, I'm guessing you're here to take us to the commander of Elisium?' She replied, trying to sound as confident as possible.

Robin just cocked her head to the side, staring straight at the young girl. 'Maybe~' She purred. She slowly turned to the other Harpy, still composed, but her eyes were gleaming with excitement. 'Ah! So you're the strange lady with the princess. We're gonna have so much to talk about when we get there.'

Breaking up the tension, Willow walked up to the carriage and started to escort Cedric into it, who hadn't reacted at all during the encounter. 'So. Who are you mean't to be.' She coldly questioned the red harpy.

Without skipping a beat, Robin turned to the older woman, her eyes were a deep red, growing lighter and the base. Her pupils were white, _Just like Wren_. In Fact, she looked just like her. They both had horns; though hers were like rams, Wrens were closer to a stags.

'I'm Robin. Commander Athena's bodyguard and second in command.' 


	19. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Eden.

‘Hm, it seems infected. I’ll go to the nearest hospital once we get to Eden and fetch some antibiotics.’ Mused Willow, as she stretched open Cedrics eyelid, which revealed his left eye to be reddened and weeping slightly. It slightly bulged outwards, looking like more like a cherry than an eyeball. Despite this, Cedric just sat here. ‘Hm. Yeah.’ He mumbled in reply, blushing slightly from the attention he was getting.

Willow finally leaned back, placing a bony finger on her chin, humming in thought. ‘Well, your shoulder wounds are healing surprisingly well. Despite your eye, you’ll be fine pretty soon.’ She concluded, a warm smile forming on her face. Even Cedric was surprised, who quickly turned away.

She wasn’t really even listening, the rocking of the carriage almost pulled her into a lucid state of existence. Wren just sat there, resting her ivy hair on the thin wall of the carriage, her eyes half-lidded and soft. But she just looked on at the Strange harpy nearby and the young princess sitting next to her. She stood tall, her back straight and her hands out in deep thought. Her eyes blazed and rippled like fire and the words poured out of her like molten metal. This wasn’t the girl that she had gotten to know over the last week. So diplomatic, so mature for her age. That thought alone curled a knot within the harpies core. ‘She’s too young to be dragged into this.’ Was all that Wren could think in her dazy state. 

It was stupid. She had only known Ellyn for one week. Why did she care so much for her? The young girl was abrasive, rash and slightly immature. But, she was also caring, brave and had experienced more than any girl of her age should’ve. 

So, as the harpy continued to stare at the girl, she vowed to herself. Something that she would never tell anyone. In fear of it not coming true. This girl needed to survive, and flourish. She didn’t know much about the past, but from what she had seen with Alice, it had been bloody and ruthless. It had taken her mother's arm, and even more. 

‘I’m going to protect you, my child. I swear on my life. I will protect you.’ 

She never noticed, as the young girl kept talking with the red harpy. She never noticed how proud Wren was of her. But, she didn’t need to be told. She already knew she was loved. 

‘Wait. Stop.’ Robin raised a hand at the young girl, quickly shushing her. 

Turning to the red haired man opposite her, she cocked her head slightly, keeping her face stone and cold. Cedric slowly looked over, not saying anything in reply.

‘Man, what’s your problem?’ Robin rudely enquired, a small smile forming on her reddened face, sliding a hand to the knee of the quiet man. 

With a jolt, Willow reached over and grabbed it, shoving it back onto the harpies knee. Her eyes cold and deep. ‘Attacked by a skinwalker on the way here. Y’know the reason we came here on the first place.’ She spat.

Everyone went silent. Wren froze in surprise, Ellyn's mouth flapped open in dumbfounded surprise and oddly also in pride.

Robin took a few seconds to recompose herself, also caught off guard. Slowly narrowing her eyes, the smile formed on her face once again. With a slight tip, she cocked her head to the side. ‘Oh! So that's what you call our security measures.’ She smiled sweetly, her voice like sickly honey.

Willow didn’t smile. She stayed still, eyes locked onto Robin. ‘They’ve killed people.’

Robin didn’t even flinch, just continued to stare at her.

Ellyn didn’t like this, this tension made her skin crawl and her head itch. She just wanted to keep everyone calm… Any infighting would have dangerous consequences. She didn’t dislike Robin, she seemed to be honest, but just liked to make others squirm. Also.. She seemed very similar to Wren. If Wren could produce plants and roots, she might’ve been able to do something similar. As long as she goes by her word and takes everyone to the leader of this country, everything should be fine.  _ Right? _

After locking eyes with Willow, Robin sighed and threw herself backwards, slumping onto the seat behind her, crossing her arms and pouting slightly.

‘Well, just sort it out with Athena.’ She mumbled, rolling her eyes slightly.

Luckily, Willow didn’t say anything and just narrowed her eyes.

‘Guys… Look!’ Ellyn’s voice broke through the silence, she was pointing outside the window. Her eyes were sparkling and she was shaking, barely able to contain her excitement.

Wren craned her neck to look outside. ‘What is it?’ She said.

‘Just look outside! We must be close!’ Chirped Ellyn, grinning widely.

The trees near the road had finally filtered out, exposing the City of Eden. The side of the road petered into a sheer drop, forming cliffsides, pearly white with small crevices which birds lived in, building nests and forming families. Lower down, rows of houses latched onto the rock, more and more appearing until they reached the ground. The City filled every nook of the cliffside, which was curved and formed a shape similar to a crescent moon. More buildings filled the base, spreading out to the shoreline, which was full with ships and piers. The water was a deep azure, peppered with the colour of small ships and boats. All the buildings were the same shade of white as the cliffs, built with flat roofs and painted with hints of blue peppering the windows and doors.

‘I’ve never seen anything like this!’ Said Ellyn. ‘Is that the ocean?’ She questioned, looking over to robin.

Robin laughed. ‘Nah girlie. That’s a lake, the name’s Dwell.’ She opened the window and rested her arm outside. ‘But it’s pretty big, wouldn't expect an Acron to know that.’

Wren was completely speechless. How was something like this even constructed? She was so used to her forest, this was all new to her. Sure, the walled city of Fremont surprised her, but Eden was something completely different. But, Robin acted like it wasn’t interesting at all. So this is where she lives?

It still took a while to get into the City, which consisted of winding roads and steep streets. Everything was so colourful, shops selling fancy drinks and goods. People even pointed at the Carriage, recognising it as being owned by Athena. No-one feared or worried about skinwalkers. It wasn’t a danger to them. It seemed carefree, it was so different to Fremont.

They finally stopped near the lake, before a large white building. The roofs were Aqua blue and curled over the walls with intricate carvings and pottery. It was by far the tallest building in the city.

With a hop, Robin leapt out and with a dainty twist, bowed at the young Princess and her group, a smile crawling up her face.

‘Welcome to Eden.’   


	20. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally meeting the commander.

‘Come this way.’ 

Robin quickly becconded everyone out of the carriage, making sure everyone was out before signalling the driver to leave. Scanning the group with her bloodshot eyes, she brashly slammed the doors shut, which force stronger than someone her size should possibly have.

No one dared to respond to her, but followed her nonetheless.

Robin didn’t really care though, she didn’t even really want then to respond. Too much trouble for her, obviously.

The headquarters of Eden were nothing like Ellyn’s home. Instead of oak and stone, marble and limestone covered the large building. Everyone stopped inside a large hall, once again decorated with marble floors and limestone walls. Large archways curled over the flooring, speckled with gold leaf and marble. It was completely silent, apart from the tapping of feet and the ruffle of feathers. By every large window stood equally as large pots, made of stone shaded a deep green.

Robin finally stopped outside a large door, near the end of the room. It was made of marble, carved with designs and intricate markings. It towered over everyone, even the Harpies.

‘The princess is going to go in there. Greenie, stay here.’ Robin explained, pointing to the door before them. ‘You two, do whatever you want. I really don’t care.’ Robin continued, waving her hand at Cedric and Willow.

Ignoring the red harpy, Willow turned to the others. ‘I’m going to go and book a room somewhere, then get some medicine. Come, Cedric.’

So this left Ellyn with the two harpies.

She wanted to complain, just  _ ask  _ if someone could come with her. But with a shudder, she swallowed the fear down. Taking a short breath, she looked over to Wren.

‘Stay here. I’ll be back soon.’ She softly said. Wren nodded in agreement.

‘Let's get this show started!’ Robin announced, a grin on her face. Walking between the other two, with unnatural ease, she pushed the marble doors open with a gliding sweeping motion. It was strangely fluid. A door that size shouldn’t be that easy to open. Even when walking past it, Ellyn quickly pressed her hand on the door.

‘Yep, that's heavy.’ She whispered.

Once she walked through the doorway, she quickly looked behind to see the door closed, with neither Robin or Wren anywhere to be seen.

‘Oh! So you’re Alice’s daughter!’

Surprised, Ellyn whipped around. Before her stood a large marble table, just like the rest of the marble inside this building. But, sitting behind it was who she’d came for.

Athena.

She sat behind a wall of paperwork and letters. Craning her neck forwards, she narrowed her eyes at the girl before her. Placing a hand to her eyes, she swiftly removed her glasses from her face.

Her hair was tightly wrapped up in a bun, a stick piercing the end of it. As she started to stand up, her clothes were revealed. Loose, white cloth draped over her arms and legs, with a corset pinching her waist. It was similar to Robin’s, but made of steel, carved and sculpted. The edges were clearly worn, it was nearly as old and it’s wearer.

Ellyn stood still, too scared to speak.

Athena slowly walked over to her, not saying anything else. Towering over the young girl, she gazed down, casting a shadow over the her.

‘Um, I’-’

Ellyn was quickly quieted by the movement of Athena's hand, which reached out to her, surprised at her quickness. But, to her surprise, the ruler placed a large hand onto her head and ruffled her hair roughly, like she was a small child. She was too surprised to react, so she just stood there, whilst this woman messed with her hair.

‘They never said you were this adorable!’ Athena loudly said, ending with a hearty laugh. Her voice was thick with accent, strangely govial and didn’t fit her appearance.

With a relieved sigh, Ellyn quickly smoothed her hair and finally decided to let her hair out. It sprang out in ripples and curves, quicky going back to its natural form. ‘That's the first time someones called me that.’ She announced.

As Athena coughed and cleared her throat, Ellyn’s eyes wandered and finally noticed the man behind the commander. He didn’t say anything, but just narrowed his eyes.

Finally composing herself, Athena shifted her weight and looked down at the princess before her. Her eyes narrowing, her face suddenly became hard and serious.

‘So. What made you come all this way from Acron.?’

* * *

‘So, you’re not gonna speak to me?’ Complained Robin, who sat near one side of the door, with Wren sitting on another seat on the other side. She hadn’t said anything since Ellyn went to speak with Athena, she didn’t see any reason to.

Robin however, was getting bored and wanted to talk.

‘Oh come on! Isn’t it obvious? You, and me?’ Hissed Robin, frantically waving her hand to herself then Wren multiple times.

Wren slowly looked over to her, narrowing her eyes. She had thought about it, they were both harpies, had horns and even sounded similar. But, she just didn’t have time to mention it. It was stupid though, finding out more about herself was the reason she came here! She just got sidetracked with Ellyn’s issues and forgot about herself.

‘I’m sorry, I don’t know anything about myself, whatever you want to know, I can’t help you.’ Wren bitterly muttered, staring into the eyes of the red harpy.

Robin tilted her head to the side, narrowing her eyes. ‘I guess i’m not the only one with memory issues. Little help you are.’ Robin jokingly said, but her eyes told a more sad story.

Robin’s reaction shocked her, jolting upwards, Wren whipped her head towards her and struck her with a dumbfounded look. ‘Oh. Oh my gosh, i’m not alone.’ She whispered.

‘You ok there Greenie?’ Robin said, slightly weirded out.

Wren started to laugh softly. ‘It’s just nice to know after years of living in a forest that you’re not alone.’

Robin grinned slightly. ‘I have no idea what you’re saying. Wait. Why are you with the princess anyway?’

‘It’s a long story. But I made a deal with her, I would protect her if she could help me find out more about my past.’ Wren continued. ‘ _ Anything.  _ I know nothing about myself. I don’t even know how I’m able to control plant life.’

Robin grinned devilishly. ‘Oh, I can control fire. Cool isn’t it.’

‘There is something that could help you, you seem more stressed out than I am, so it’s probably gonna be more use to you, Greenie.’ Robin blurted out. ‘Go to the national Library, or get the princess to go there. There isn’t much in the public areas, but if you or the princess can get behind the scenes, there’s some books that might be useful to you.’

Wren was astonished. ‘Why don’t you go yourself?’ She questioned.

Robin shrugged. ‘I’m not that fussed myself, I care more about the present than the past.  _ You  _ however look like you need it more than me.’

Wren wanted to cry. ‘Thank you so much Robin. It means so much to me.’ She muttered.

_ SLAM _

Wren jumped at the noise, looking back at the door, which somehow was wide open. Ellyn stomped out of the previous room, finally stopping near Wren.

Wren edged back slightly, intimidated by the flares in the young girls eyes. ‘Didn’t go well?’ She questioned.

Ellyn looked around the room quickly, ignoring Robin completely. ‘Not here. Let’s go.’ She whispered.

‘Let’s get you a drink, then we’ll talk.’ Suggested Wren, which Ellyn quickly agreed with.

 


	21. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It reminded her of home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! we're finally at chapter 20! woah time has gone quickly, I hope you've all enjoyed Wingbeat so far!

They quickly found a small cafe, of on the side of the road. It was pretty small, but busy, the inside was completely full, so the only seats free were outside, as there were rows of wooden tables and chairs. 

After waiting for what seemed like ages, Wren finally walked over to the table, holding a clear glass of orange-coloured fluid and a white cup with steaming-hot brown liquid. Ellyn was already sitting by the table, fiddling with a fork lazily.

‘Why did you have to order hot cocoa? It’s hot enough as it is outside.’ Wren breathly muttered, placing the drink before a salivating Ellyn.

‘Well.. I just reminds me of home.’ Ellyn retorted, blushing slightly. ‘And anyways, why have you got a drink? I thought you didn’t need to eat?’ Ellyn continued.

Wren laughed lightly, after taking a swig of her orange juice. ‘Just because I don’t have to doesn’t mean I can’t if I really want to treat myself.’ Tipping her head slightly, she continued. ‘You’re lucky you’ve got that drink. Do you know how many strange looks I got inside there? I had to say I was a circus performer. Though, i'm not sure how I was even able to order anything. I've never been to one of those places before.’ She muttered. ‘So, how did it actually go? You haven’t said anything to me yet.’

Placing her cocoa down, Ellyn took a deep breath, before sighing. ‘So, Athena apparantly didn’t know anything about the skinwalkers- or as they call them, ‘ _the personal guards_ ’. They aren’t even meant to attack on sight, they’re basically just sentry.’ Ellyn paused, waiting for a response.

Wren tensed her shoulders. ‘So did she tell you how they work?’ She leaned in closer. ‘She did say something, right?’

Ellyn sunk into her chair slightly. ‘She didn’t know herself. Apparently all that stuff is taken care by her subordinate, Neilo.’

Wren sighed. ‘Who’s that?’

‘I saw him when i spoke to Athena. He didn’t say anything, but kept on staring. He creeped me out majorly.’ She said. ‘But Athena said she would get him to take care of it as soon as he could.’ Ellyn took another sip. ‘Though I wouldn’t trust them straight away.’

Wren slowly placed her hands to her forehead. ‘So nothing was mentioned about my creation?’

Ellyn shook her head in reply. ‘I’m sorry. I wasn’t able to hold on my side of the bargain.’

Wren didn’t say anything for a few seconds, before speaking again. ‘Well, Robin did mention somewhere that could help. The national library has some sections away from the public that might be some use to us. She said that it probably be a better idea for you to go, since you’re a princess and all.’ Wren continued, ‘I know we shouldn’t trust her but, she seemed to really care.’

Ellyn thought for a while. ‘We’ll see.’ She finally muttered.

‘There you two are!’

Ellyn turned her head to see a slightly frazzled and tired Willow standing to the side of them. She was breathing heavily, having recently ran.

Without hesitation, she threw a silver key to Wren and turned to Ellyn, who was resting her head on her hands. ‘Where’s Ced?’ She jokingly questioned.

Taking a seat next to them, Willow sighed and pinched her brow. ‘The hospital decided to keep him in, for his eye.’

‘But you said it was only infected?’ Ellyn yelped. Wren stayed silent, creeped out.

‘I know. I thought it was.’ She growled. ‘But.. It took a turn for the worse. His eye started to hemorrhage and fill up with blood.’ Willow called down a waiter. Wren was shaken, but Ellyn kept focused. ‘One white please.’ She ordered to the waiter. ‘Normally, it would be fine with strong antibiotics but, it’s swelling and... He might end up losing that eye.’

Wren was shocked silent, Ellyn continued to stare at Willow. ‘Come on. There’s something you’re not telling us.’ She pressed.

Willow shifted slightly, before continuing. ‘They know it’s a skinwalker that did it.’

‘You told them?’ Ellyn hissed.

Willow stiffened, offended. ‘Of course not. I said it was a wild rabid animal. But once one of their nurses checked him they started acting strange. Acting shifty and like I said, strange. They started to write notes and pass them on to the others. I’m pretty sure they know.’

‘Why do they even care?’ Ellyn muttered. But before she could continue, Willow downed her drink in one go and started to stand up again.

‘Hey! You just got here.’ Ellyn yelped. Willow sighed and pointed to the key.

‘I need to go back to the hospital. That key is for the suite that I booked for everyone.’

‘How are we gonna find it?’ Wren questioned.

‘It’s opposite the national library, follow the signs for it and you’ll find it.’ Willow muttered, already turning to leave again.

‘Thanks.’ Wren said, a small smile forming on her face. Ellyn leaned over and rested her face on the table, staring at the silver key.      

 


	22. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tw for blood and death mentions

Ellyn laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Wren was looking out the window, appreciating the night-sky. Nether said anything for a long time. The window jutted outwards slightly, creating a makeshift seat in the windowsill. The suite was pretty small, but nicely decorated. It was the best they could get with the little money they brought with them. But, now with Cedric in hospital, and Willow spending most of the time also at the hospital, the room felt slightly bigger with only two people inside. 

Ellyn continued to stare at the ceiling.

_ ‘I hope what is going on is either a mistake or miscalculation, which can be easily sorted out, but if it seems deeper than that, you both have my permission to investigate as much as you can.’ _

Ellyn bolted up, her mother's words ringing inside her head. She quickly swung her legs over the edge of the bed and started to put her shoes back on. 

Wren heard the commotion and looked over. ‘Where’re are you planning on going?’

Ellyn didn’t look up. ‘Going to the library.’

Wren narrowed her eyes. ‘I know I told you about it, but isn’t it a bit late to go now? I’d rather you went in the daytime.’ 

Ellyn looked over, a puppy-dog look covering her face. ‘Oh cooome on! I won’t be long, and less people are gonna be there right now. I can sneak into the back rooms easier now.’ 

Wren sighed, closing her eyes. ‘Ok, ok. Just don’t get into much trouble. I don’t know anything about this war but I don’t want another starting.’  

Ellyn laughed, sticking her head through the open door frame, winking cheekily. ‘It’s gonna be fine! I’ll just say that I got lost, what are they gonna do? I’m a child.’ 

‘Just be careful.’ Wren said, but the door was already closed. 

* * *

As expected, there wasn’t anything of use in the public area of the library. Though there were plenty of books, all differing in topics and sizes, nothing that interested Ellyn or helped her could be found. 

At least she didn’t have to worry about the place closing, surprisingly it was open all hours. But for now, it was pretty quiet. The rooms were lightly lit, clashing against the gloom flowing through the large windows. The inside was very quiet, the only sounds were from outside, as the cities nightlife began to awaken. 

Cracked lamps hung against the walls, flickering randomly, attracting moths and small lizards. 

‘Just as I expected.’ Ellyn huffed, puffing her cheeks out in annoyance. 

There wasn’t anyone nearby, but Ellyn tried to put off the inevitable for as long as she could, looping the rooms again and again. 

Finally, she wandered behind the rows of books, reaching the wall behind. Not much was there, apart for a single door. 

‘Private storage. No public entry.’ Ellyn whispered. ‘This sounds like the right place.’ 

Placing a light hand onto the door, unsurprisingly it was locked. A large padlock swung under the handle of the door. 

‘Of course, why would it be unlocked.’ Ellyn said. ‘Luckily, I think I have something that could be useful.’ She smirked, placing her hand to her belt, feeling the pouch that contained her small pocket-knife. Slipping it out, she carefully rested it on the palm of her hands. 

Finally, she slowly slipped the blade into the keyhole, listening out for any give or movement inside the lock. Applying pressure, she twisted the knife slightly, working its way into the lock. 

With a satisfying  _ click,  _ the padlock popped open and sprung out of the door handle. ‘Shoot!’ Ellyn hissed, kneeling over to catch the padlock before it hit the ground. After barely catching it, she quickly looked around, only for no one to notice her breaking and entering. 

With a deep inhale, Ellyn pushed the door open, to be blasted by the musty smell of old books and dusty particles. Braving it, she pushed forwards and walked into the small room, quickly closing the door behind her. Hopefully no one saw her.

It was a pretty small room. With only four bookcases, there wasn’t much to look at. It was also much darker that the previous rooms. There wasn’t any windows, just one small candle on the table between the two walls. One bookcase stood against the wall, the other three stacked up against each other, forming even more tight passageways inside the room. Near the end of the shelves, a plane door could be seen, but it was clearly hidden by the books. Next to the candle was a single bottle of red wine, the cork burst and laying next to it. A layer of dust coated it, turning the bright red into a darker, more dull burgundy.

Her eyes flicking around the room, Ellyn sighed and started to scan the books around her. 

The first bookcase provided nothing useful, just databases and graphs about the city. Some include words that even Ellyn didn’t understand. 

Finally. Ellyn’s eyes locked onto a book that seemed different. The paper was crumpled and everything was hand-written. 

‘ _ The notes of doctor Carmen,  _ huh?’ Ellyn wondered, turning the book in her hands. The sides were stained and ripped, everything was written in ink. The hairs on her arms rose, tingles raining down her spine. She felt uncomfortable, but couldn’t wait to read this book. ‘Let’s try this one.’ She thought to herself, as her walked and sat down at the table, moving the candle closer to herself. 

_ 12th March 1739.  _ __   
__ Preparations for the creation and testing of this energy has started. Flyers have been passed around eden over the last week. Hopefully some volunteers will arrive soon in the next days. With the promise of payment, they’ll  arrive. However, there are still preparations needed to the finished. I have asked two of my students to get the practice room finished and set. Another one has gone to collect the samples needed for this experiment. She should arrive any day now. I can’t wait to test out this energy. I’ve decided to call it, ‘mana’   


‘So this is a diary. What is this ‘mana?’ I’ve never heard of this.’ Ellyn wondered. 

_ 13th March 1739. _

_ My third student was arrived back today. She was able to get the dna of the local animals in the forests. She was able to get a wide selection, i’m sure one of them will work. From what I’ve tested already, compared to us humans these animals have a higher affinity for Mana. I suspect it comes from the earth, rising from the ground itself. So far, there isn’t any way for humans to be able to use Mana in the same way. Though it seems to help the survival of the animals, such as helping stamina and health, I’m sure we can use it to help benefit the country. But, I will have to wait. These tests I will preform will help aid us to protect our country.  _

_ 14th March 1739. _ __   
_ Our first volunteer arrived today. A man in his mid-30s. He should’ve been a perfect candidate for the sample, but the volunteer didn’t survive the assimilation. However, this has given us an idea on what was done wrong and what will be improved for the next attempt. I’ve provided a timeline of the events commencing the expiration.   _ __   


_ Subject .1 given injection including the sampled liquid into the forearm. Minor pain felt when inserted, but relatively normal afterward. _

_ Subject .1 first showed changes 10 minutes after insertion. Mass shown to grow on the neck and head of the subject. Some discomfort shown but no pain.  _ _   
_

_ Subject .1 left to rest for the night. _ _   
_

_ Alarms fired at 4am in the room of the Subject. The man was found convulsing in his bed. Seemingly choking in his sleep. Claw marks found on chest and neck. Apparently, the serum also promotes nail growth, becoming thicker and sharper. Attempts to ease breathing failed. The subject died in his sleep. _

_ It must be noticed for future use, biopsies showed a abundance of plumage and feathers found in the lung cavity. The birds DNA was too potent, I think I shall dilute it by mixing it with another animals DNA.  _

Ellyn was broken out of her trance when she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. Stiffening, she didn’t move but try to listen carefully. The was at least one person behind her. And, maybe a dog? Ellyn wasn’t sure, but she also didn’t want to find out. Raising her hands out in defeat, she slowly turned around. ‘Sor-’

As she moved, two gunshots rang through the air. One went straight through the wine bottle, shattering it instantly. Red liquid flowed across the table, the scent of alcohol wafting through the air. As Ellyn quickly dropped to her knees, a sharp pain spread through her right cheek, placing a hand to her face, she noticed the the broken glass had cut her cheek open, it was bleeding heavily. Finally looking up, she saw the people that had attacked her. 

The woman holding the gun also stared down at her. She had no hair, her body was covered in scales of changing shapes. The only areas exposed were her face and hands, everything else was covering in the deep green scales. A equally green tail curled around her foot, which was strangely bare. She didn’t wear much, just a black tank-top and short jeans, reaching her knees. 

Next to her was another girl, or something that looked like one. She had the head of a fox, which looked fake before it started to move naturally. She wore a dainty blue dress, adorned with pink bows. She was rapidly looking around, sniffing the air. She was disturbing, unnatural.

Ellyn was shocked to see the older woman still pointing the gun at her. Right at her face. Without thinking, she moved her right arm up to protect herself. 

The woman's eyes widened in surprise. ‘Oh. I didn’t mean to actually hit you.’ 

Ellyn cocked her head in surprise before noticing the blood on her hand. Twisting it around, she noticed blood running down her arm, pooling at her hand. Above her elbow was a hole, ripping the fabric on her clothes. 

Suddenly, pain flooded through the young girl, causing her shot arm to drop to her side. ‘I’ve been shot!’ She thought. Supporting her arm on her waist, she looked back up to the woman, her breaths turning shaky and random. 

The fox-girl started to pant and move her nose around, sniffing the air nearby her. After a few seconds she started to whimper, pawing her nose with her contorted hands. ‘Don’t like! Don’t like the smell! Too dusty.’ She slurred. 

The older lady ignored her partner, continuing to look at Ellyn. Finally, she smirked and put her gun down. ‘Now what’s a young girl like you doing in a place like this. It said private for a reason.’ Raising her eyebrow, she waited for a answer. But Ellyn couldn’t reply, all the air in her lungs had been sucked out. She was too scared to speak. 

‘Too scared to talk? Well, Rusé?’ She finally said, turning to Rusé, who nodded quickly and lept down onto her arms and legs. Not saying anything, she raised her haunches and lifted her tail jerkily. 

Widening her eyes in realisation, Ellyn quickly scrambled and jumped out of the way, as the vixen lept for her, colliding with the wooden table. The glass flew across the room and the candle fell onto the floor, sparks flying everywhere. Nearly falling over, she ran to the collection of bookcases, hiding behind one of them. Breathing heavily, she once again looked down at her arm. She couldn’t bare see if the bullet was still inside her. It hurt too much. 

Sighing heavily, the scaled lady walked over to Rusé and leaned over, reaching for the book that Ellyn had been reading previously. Scanning the book, she turned behind her and lazily threw the book into another pile in the corner. As it collided with the other books, they caved in on themselves, quickly hiding the book. 

Ellyn continued to hide, breathing deeply. She slowly put her unharmed hand to her mouth, trying to smother the noises coming out. 

Hearing footsteps, Ellyn jolted to see the woman standing before her. At first, her eyes were cold and irritated, but she took a deep breath and blinked, her eyes softening for a few seconds. It didn’t last as her face contorted into shock as she heard her partner yelp loudly. 

‘FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!’. The chimera yelled, almost like a alarm. 

Sighing, the scaled lady turned back to Ellyn, who was shaking uncontrollably. ‘Get out. That gun wound was just a warning. Just.. Don’t come back here. I couldn’t bear to murder a child.’ Near the end, her voice shook, maybe in desperation. Ellyn didn’t say anything as the two mystery woman quickly left, through the hidden door behind the bookcases. 

Slowly getting up, Ellyn made her way over to the middle of the room. Looking upwards, smoke started to curdle around it. Twisting her head back, she saw the cause of the smoke. The candle that had been knocked over had lit the spilt wine, starting a strong fire. By the time she noticed, it had already spread to the table and was making its way to the nearest bookcases. 

She wanted to run away right now, but her legs stayed stuck to the floor. She kept on looking over to the pile of books. She needed to find that diary again. Wren was depending on her. 

She started to cough, beads of sweat dripping down her face. It was already overbearingly hot. But she needed that book. ‘I’ve only got about 10 minutes before I really have to go.’ She thought, already running over to the pile of books. 

It had harder than normal to find the book, she could only use one of her arms. The other was still bleeding, sticking to her clothes. It was starting to tingle slightly, like the static of the radio. 

The flames kept on growing, filling up the small room. As Ellyn kept on searching, throwing and grabbing books, she could feel the heat coating her and licking her back. In her mind, she swore that she could hear voices and noises outside. Maybe it was her imagination.

Her eyes had started to stream, from fear and the smoke covering them. Her mind was fuzzy, like a pillow was smothering her. It felt nice, as if sleep was becoming her. As her mind started to shut down, her hands kept on scrambling for the book. 

Finally, she found it. The sides were slightly charred and ripped, but they were better than the hands holding it. Her hands were red and broken, burns covering them. They stung, but Ellyn fumbled and was able to put the book in her bag, which hung from her shoulder. 

Her task completed, she quickly shot up, getting onto her feet. But, she quickly fell down again, the smoke making her dizzy and sick. Falling against the door, she gave up, her body finally not listening to her. As she crumpled against the door, she could feel her cheek blister as it touched the metal handle, but she didn’t move. 

She didn’t care anymore. 

Coughing heavily, she started to sob. Thinking of her family, her mother and her brother. She had failed them, she thought. She wasn’t able to help her country. What was the point anymore? 

Would they find her, or would they just end up with a burnt husk of herself? Would her mother cry? How would Rowan deal without her?

Giving up, she closed her eyes. Waiting for the end to come. 

She thought that she could hear someone behind her, but she denied it. Why would there be anyone there? 

So she laid there, waiting for the fire to engulf her. 

She felt nothing.    


	23. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here is a video I commissioned that relates to last chapter and this one! Made by a good friend of mine, check out his channel!  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YwjZG1biWE

 The whole world was stuck in limbo, Ellyn wasn’t able to escape it. The world kept on shifting, and she was helpless to fight it. Everything was heavy, her lungs felt like they were full of black tar.

She kept on trying to get closer to awareness, getting closer and closer before sinking back into nothing. Trying to fight it, she suddenly was able to open her mouth and suck in as much air as she could, but every particle hurt and pricked her lungs, causing her lungs to spasm and hack up thick globules of fluid.

In the darkness, she tried to reach out; find something nearby. But unseen forces soon pulled her down, putting pressure on her chest and head.

She started to hear voices, hushed and frantic. But she was unable to decipher what they were saying, as if her ears were full of cotton wool. But now something was different, some sort of comfort. Her head become supported and her breathing became slightly easier.

Hands kept on reaching for her. Her hair was being moved, her arms being pulled and her back was being supported. Ellyn tried to move, trying to swat away the hands, but nothing moved. She couldn’t speak, nor open her eyes.

Her eyes were too heavy, they felt stuck, glued tight. Her throat hurt, tight and raspy. Her hands, face and arm still hurt, aching and gnawing at the skin.

Suddenly, something was put onto her face, it was tight and seemed to pinch and suction to the skin of her face. Trying to fight it, her fingers were able to twitch but that was all she could do, the forces holding her kept her still.

Finally giving up, she was able to breath more clearly. Whatever was put on her, it seemed to work pretty well.

* * *

Wren sat limply by a closed door. Resting her back on the wall, she kept on staring intently at the floor below her. Tiled and repetitive, it kept on going.

She had been sitting here for the last few hours, not moving at all. After Ellyn was rushed to the hospital, they ordered her to wait for any news. So, she was completely useless.

Willow sat opposite to her, but Wren hadn’t spoken to her since they arrived. She was too scared. Not forming eye-contact, Wren finally broke the silence that had became normal in the recent hours.

‘I didn’t know that was going to happen.’ Wren weakly said, her voice quivering with each word. She slowly looked up to the older woman, expecting to be chewed out by the old doctor.

Instead, Willow returned the eye-contact, her face softening. A tired smile forming on her face, she leaned over and placed a soft hand onto the knee of the Harpy.

‘Well, no-one expected a fire starting in a public library. But, as soon as I’m allowed she needs to give an explanation on what the hell she was doing.’ She said, laughing halfheartedly at the end.

Wren didn’t reply, but nodded in agreement. ‘I’m just glad that you don’t blame me. I did give her the idea to go.’ She finally said.

Silence soon filled the hallway once again. But Wren continued to speak, trying to repel the quietness. ‘How is Cedric doing? I haven’t seen him since you left earlier today.’ She continued, looking back to Willow.

Huffing loudly, Willow placed a hand to her head, sighing deeply. ‘Yeah, that eye is basically dead. It needs to be removed soon and because of this I have no idea if it was already done since i’ve been stuck here.’ Yawning deeply, Willow rubbed her eyes lazily. ‘I’m so tired.’ She complained.

Smiling, Wren nodded her head slowly. ‘Go back to the suite, get some rest.’

Willow laughed deeply, her eyes narrowing softly. ‘Y’know, I might take you up on that offer. But, are you sure you want to stay here alone?’ She asked.

‘I’ll be fine. If the doctors need anyone I can help and you’ve been running around all day, get some sleep. I’ll get you if anything happens.’

Willow finally decided and stood up, her back cracking in the process. As she started to leave, she stopped for a second and looked back to Wren. Confusion covered the womans face and she asked a question to the Harpy. ‘Wait, who did you say rescued Ellyn?’

* * *

 

_ Once Willow told her about the fire, Wren hadn’t stopped running. Maybe it was a mistake? She’s going to be fine, she’ll be standing outside, and she will be fine. She ran down the stairs, went down the hall and straight onto the street outside. _

_ The street was full of people, pointing and yelling. A caterwaul of sound blasted against the Harpy, who shuddered in response. Her eyes flickering all over the crowd, she kept on looking for her. Shoving people out of the way, she kept on running. Looking out for her, she kept on hoping, she needed to hope.  Where are you?  She kept thinking, her breath becoming bated and husky. _

_ Once the fire came into view, it was worse than she ever imagined. The heat radiating of the flames almost knocked her off her feet. Stumbling towards the building, bitter tears started dripping down her face, but evaporating before they fell. _

_ She tried to run inside, but hands covered her arms, pulling tight and holding her back. She didn’t look at them, but apparently multiple people had to hold on to be able to keep her back. Unable to do anything, the harpy fell to her knees, yelling out for her friend. _

* * *

‘Who was that woman?’ Wren mumbled.

The door next to her opened, revealing a cleanly shaven man. He looked down, his eyes widening in surprise for a second, before regaining his composure. Looking down at the harpy, he asked her to come inside.

* * *

 

Finally, after what felt like years, Ellyn was able to move, somewhat. At first, she was able to move her fingers, wiggling them slightly. As her senses started to return to her, she finally felt the stiff cotton surrounding her fingers. They were soft and warm, but light enough not to irritate her skin.

She could feel something- _ someone _  nearby, cold air wafted and pushed around her, bringing a tangy chemical smell with them. Trying to get away, she turned her head, but not much success took place.

Giving up with that, she went back to moving her arms. First she tried her left arm, which was soon discovered to also be covered in cotton. Next, her right arm, but as she started to move it, a jolt of pain flashed up her arm.  _ Let's not try that again _  she winced to herself.

Slowly, her head started to clear. Sounds that once felt underwater and muffled soon became quiet and soft, people were talking nearby.         

‘We were able to remove the bullet that was lodged in the right arm. It took awhile, but blood oxygen levels are slowly becoming normal again, so that's why we removed the oxygen mask recently.  But, just notify a nurse if its needed again.’

Feeling tired and sick, Ellyn didn’t want to participate in the conversation. Deciding to rest for a bit longer, she continued to lay on the bed.

‘ _ Her  _ name is Ellyn Ignis. I’ll keep an eye on her. Thank you.’

After some time, the deeper voice left.  

Finally, Ellyn tried to open her eyes, which felt heavy and sluggish. Light flooded into her eyes, nearly making them close again. But, after a few seconds they adjusted.

The room was much lighter than she expected, sunlight filling the white room.  _ How long was I sleeping?  _ Ellyn wondered, embarrassment rising in her mind.

She slowly looked down, revealing herself in pyjamas and her clothes nowhere to be found. Her hands were wrapped tightly in bandages, a i.v was in her left arm, pumping in clear fluid.

Something strange was on her face, moving a hand to her cheek, she found a square of gauze stuck on her face. Once she laid a hand onto it, pain flashed through her face, causing her to suck in air through her mouth.

She soon heard the familiar ruffle of feathers and finally noticed Wren, who was sitting next to her bed. Her eyes widened, surprise flowing through her. Composing herself, Wren flattened her feathers and leaned forwards, her face growing soft.

‘How you feeling?’ Wren said, trying to make her voice as calm as she possibly could. ‘You gave us quite a scare, you know.’

Ellyn opened her mouth to reply, but doubled over coughing as soon as she tried to speak. A soft hand was placed on her back, rubbing it.

‘Shh. You're safe now, you're going to be ok.’ Wren cooed, soothing the young girl.

Wren looked the girl up and down, noticing the bruises and bandages on her arms and hands. She narrowed her eyes, settling on the wound on the girls arm.

‘Who did this to you? How did you get  _ shot? _ ’ Wren enquired, her voice shaking at the end. She didn't get a reply, but soon noticed her breathing getting quicker.

Ellyn stared at her bed, tears forming in her tired eyes. She wanted to wipe them away, but her hands were too sore and burnt to move. She slowly looked up to the harpy, and rested her head on her feathers, quickly being wrapped up in a tight hug.

‘I was so scared. I thought I was going to die. I kept on thinking about my mum and Rowan. I was so scared.’ Ellyn whispered, her voice raspy and rough.

‘Don't talk, your voice. It's been damaged by the smoke. Rest.’ Wren explained, still holding the sobbing girl in her arms. 

‘ Cedric's still hospitialised. His eye has been getting worse. How can it be that in one day both of you get stuck here?’ Wren said, still looking down at Ellyn.

Struggling slightly, Ellyn pushed away from Wren and tried to get up, but started to cough heavily.

‘No. You’re not going anywhere. I’ll see him for you.’ Wren insisted, moving Ellyn back onto her bed, making her lay back.

* * *

 

_ Wren slowly looked up at the woman before her. _

_ Her skin flushed red against the flames behind her, shimmering and rippling constantly. She was confused for a second, before noticing the tough scales covering her skin. _

_ She looked down at her, her eyes glimmering in the flames. In her hands was the frail and small body of Ellyn.   _

_ ‘Is this yours?’ She finally said, her voice rough but entrancing. Wren grabbed onto every single word. She had saved Ellyn. She was  gorgeous . _

_ Before being able to say anything, the limp body of the princess was slung into her arms. Blood covered her arms and face, ashes and smoke clinging to her clothes. For a second, she stirred but soon quieted down again. _

_ Wren looked back up to thank the lady, but she was gone.  _


	24. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tw for slight mention of transphobia

‘Is she going to be alright?’ Questioned Cedric, as he sat on a chair next to his bed. He was looking much worse than before. His eye was completely bandaged up, and his injuries on his arms and shoulder had been sewn up. His hair was completely unkempt, and a beard was starting to grow from his face. In general, he looked pretty rough.

Wren stood by the door, leaning against it awkwardly. Cedric had always creeped her out, she didn’t know why but it seemed like every fibre of herself told her to be wary of him. But, she tried her best to fight it. He seemed nice enough, she had to believe him. 

‘I think so, her voice has been damaged slightly. She sounds pretty rough for now, but that should get better. Apart from some external injures, she’s gonna be out of here next week hopefully.’  Wren sighed deeply, ‘But the doctors are starting to annoy me, I have to keep correcting them. I said she was a girl when she came in but  _ apparently  _ it's too confusing for them. It was easy enough for them to deal with me, but she’s going through enough without that.’ 

Cedric laughed weakly, nodding at the Harpy. ‘Eslium isn’t the same as Acron. There, she's a princess but here? Not so much.’ 

Wanting to change the subject, Wren moved the conversation onto Cedric. ‘So, what are they gonna be doing with you?’ 

Cedric tipped his head to the side, thinking deeply. ‘Some guy came in before, he was proper creepy. Wants me to stay longer.’

‘What did he look like?’ Wren asked. 

‘He was old, hunched over. Had a scar going from his arm to his neck.’

Wren wondered, ‘Does he know that Ellyn is here? I’ve been telling people that i’m just wearing costume, i’m surprised that Robin is the only person around similar to me.’ 

Wren continued to wonder, before looking back at Cedric. Surprised, she jolted slightly. ‘Are you ok?’ She asked. 

Red splodges started to fade through the bandages around his eye. As it started to bleed, he leaned over and gritted his teeth, moaning slightly. After a few seconds, he relaxed slightly. ‘Get out.’ He muttered, his voice strangely harsh.  

* * *

 

‘His name is Neilo. I remember seeing him when I spoke to Athena.’ Confirmed Ellyn, her voice scratchy and rasp. 

‘I see. Thanks.’ Wondered Wren. She went straight back to Ellyn after seeing Cedric. He seemed different. His voice was harsher and tonally different. ‘He didn’t seem normal, he told me to leave.’ Pondered Wren. 

Yawning loudly, Ellyn relaxed and looked up to Wren. ‘Well, maybe he’s just not feeling well.’ 

As Wren made her way out of the room, she gave one final look at the young girl, who was already going to sleep. ‘I’ll see you later.’ She whispered as she left the room. 

Wren sighed in relief, resting her back against the wall of the hospital halls. So much had happened recently, but she was glad that Ellyn was alive and getting better. She had been so busy that she never asked if anything was found at the library, but she didn’t want to mention it to Ellyn any time soon. There were more important things going on compared to her past, that could wait. 

‘Hey there Greenie!’

Wren jolted in surprise. Looking over to the window next to her, there was Robin, crouching on the frame. Wren had no idea how she got onto the window.

‘I thought that I’d find you here!’ Robin continued, grinning largely. 

‘How did you know I was here? Why are you on the window?’ Wren said, spluttering in surprise. 

‘Not important! Come with me, I wanna speak to you.’ Robin said, swinging on the window. 

‘Well, what do you want?’ 

‘Y’know i’m not meant to be here right now, Athena is gonna chew me out later. But, I’ll go back soon. I just wanted to say, meet me outside the headquarters at 10 later. I need to show you something.’ 

Wren widened her eyes in surprise. ‘Okay…’ 

* * *

 

‘I’m sure he’ll just take a later train than us, he wouldn’t leave his siblings for any longer than he needed to.’ Ellyn insured, her voice raspy and rough, like sandpaper. She spoke slower and much softer than before, her voice was healing slowly. 

‘Probably. I need to go soon, Robin wants to talk to me about something.’ Wren said, scratching the back of her head nervously. 

‘Why? You hardly know her.’ Ellyn groaned.  _ She's stuck up and we don’t know anything about her.  _ She thought. 

Wren leaned back slightly, cringing in thought. ‘You’re right, but she must have something important to say? It’s pretty obvious, we look pretty similar.’ 

Ellyn relaxed slightly, she glanced to the clock on the wall. ‘You probably should be going soon then.’ 

Wren sighed and made her way outside. ‘Willow will be back soon, take care.’ 

Ellyn waited for the harpy to leave, keeping a eye out for the door to close. Once she finally knew she was alone, she flopped over the side of the bed and grasped for her backpack. Finally, she pulled it up onto her bed and quickly opened it up, her eyes widening in excitement. 

The notebook was still there. It was slightly burnt but still readable. With bated breath, she continued from where she started. 

_ 15th March 1739. _

_ I’ve made sufficient changes to the serum containing the concentrated mana. The previous subject clearly had too strong of a reaction to the chemicals.  _

_ I have provided a hypothesis. Little mana is seen in the usual human, the physical state of the body isn’t sufficient enough to contain it.  _

_ The changes seen in the previous subject could’ve came from the mana trying to adapt to the new container it was placed in. The animals that we collected from seemed to present themselves in the subject through the growth of feathers and claws. Next time I will dilute the mix with more than one animal. Hopefully that will balance out the side effects.  _

_ 16th March 1739 _

_ One of my students seems to be more nervous than usual. She came back with the blood of a stag and a bird of unusual origin. I will have to wait for a subject to arrive soon.  _

_ However, a new student will be joining us soon. She will shadow my other two students. If no-one arrives, at least I have her.  _

‘What are you reading?’

Jolting in surprise, Ellyn stuffed the book under her covers. Looking to the side, she saw Willow peer her head through the door. 

‘Nothing!’


	25. Chapter 24

‘I’m here.’ 

Wren whispered over to Robin, who was standing outside the Building they originally stopped at earlier. She stood still, but her eyes shifted nervously.

At the sound of Wrens voice, Robin turned her head towards the green harpy. Seeing her, the usual confidence soon returned to her face. She straightened her back and nodded at the woman walking over to her. 

‘Come on, we don’t want to be late.’ Robin said, opening the door to the building. 

Wren nodded, following her. They entered the same hallway as before, but instead of going to the door at the end, Robin walked over to a smaller door on the right of the building. ‘This way. It’s kinda dark, don’t trip.’ She murmured. 

Wren walked through the door, revealing a darker room leading to a set of stairs, doing downwards. Robin had already made her way down, so Wren ran over to catch up. 

‘What are you showing me?’ Wren asked. 

Robin huffed. ‘I was going here anyways, and because you seem pretty similar to me, I thought  _ she  _ might wanna meet you. Just, don’t mention anything about Ellyn or your group. That’s your secret.’ 

Wren stayed quiet, narrowing her eyes.  _ Who is ‘she’?  _ She thought. 

Before she was able to ask, they reached the end of the staircase, which lead to a single oak door. Robin walked over to it, before knocking heavily. 

‘Wait! No, I can’t-’ Wren blurted as Robin opened the door, pulling her in. She was shocked silent as her eyes adjusted to the light inside. 

The room was quite full, people sitting on tables and chairs. As Wren looked around, she noticed something.  _ These were not normal people. _

They all looked different, some had overgrowths of fur covering them, some hunched over strangely and some looked like a strange mix of both human and animal. They were all Chimeras. 

‘What is this?’ Wren whispered. She kept looking, finally noticing someone standing in the corner of the room. 

_ Its that lady from before.  _ Wren thought, the breath in the throat ripped away. 

She took shaky steps towards the scaled woman, who hadn’t noticed her yet. In this light, her scales shone a bright green, like the leaves of summer. When she finally looked up, Wren could finally see her eyes. Yellow, warm like fresh rye. 

‘Oh, It’s you. You look better, now you’re not sobbing like a child.’ She finally said, smirking warmly. 

That warm feeling flooded Wren once again, a small smile formed on her face. Walking up to the lady, she grabbed her hands tightly, holding them up to her chest. 

The woman didn’t say anything, just a sharp intake of air through her nose signalled surprise. 

‘Thank you so much. You saved her life.’ Wren whispered, remembering what Robin told her. ‘I don’t know your name, what is it?’ She asked. 

The woman looked away, her cheeks heating up. Slowly removing her hands, she put them to her side. ‘My names Parson. Please, don’t thank me. I don’t deserve that treatment.’ She flatly stated. 

Wren was confused, but didn’t focus on it. ‘Well Parson, I am indebted to you.’ She continued to stare into those golden eyes, despite hating that usually. Something about them overrun her usual feelings. In a second, Parson had torn down those walls. 

Parson smiled slightly, before turning to the door. Her face turned cold, and she tensed her whole body. ‘Here comes the cavalry.’ She whispered. 

Wren also turned around, noticing the two figures walking through the door. 

The man came in first, he was clearly old and wounded. His walk was uneven and slouched, he leaned on his stick when moving. As Wren scanned the man over and over she realised something.  _ Is this that man Cedric mentioned?  _ She wondered, her hackles rising. 

Behind him was a young woman, her skin tanned and golden. She glared coldly at the man before her, but never said anything. She wore a yellow poncho over her shoulders and chest, matching the long skirt draped over her legs. Her hair was short, shaven on the sides, apart from a poofy Mohawk flopped over her left eye. The tips were a light blue, which matched her azure eyes. As she got closer, Wren noticed the scar peppering her left eye, pink and glassy. 

She opened her mouth to speak, but was quickly silenced by a hand; placed before her face. Growling lowly, she looked down. She continued to stand behind Neilo. She stayed like this, but started to lean forwards when she noticed the green harpy in the room. Before walking over, she gave a curt nod to Robin, but continued to look at Wren and she walked closer. 

She grabbed her hand, tracing every feather with her rough hands. She said nothing, but continued to look at them. Wren said nothing either, too surprised and creeped out. 

‘Who are you?’ The woman bluntly said, still looking at her hands. 

‘I’m… Wren.’ 

‘Where are you from?’ She continued. She finally looked up to the Harpy. Her eyes had no whites, just blue. 

‘I don’t know. I have no memories, i’m sorry.’ Wren answered, slightly unnerved. She looked at her side, but Parson had already left her. 

The woman started to speak, her eyes widening in surprise, but was quickly cut of by Neilo. He shoved her out of his way, getting too close to the Harpy.  _ What is he doing? _ Wren thought. Her feathers rose in fear. 

‘Move aside Puma. We don’t need  _ you _ here.’ He sharply spat at the Woman. Puma stood back, her shoulders tensing in anger. 

The man kept on speaking to Wren, but she couldn’t listen. Everything was so loud. People talking, squarks and yells rang out.  _ This man was too close.  _ Wren looked behind him. Robin was standing at the door, her eyes softened at the Green harpy. It was almost like she was trying to apologise. 

‘I heard about a feathered woman at the hospital. Why? I don’t know why Puma is so riled up about  _ your kind.  _ I assumed Robin would be enough for her to play but, no. I even tried to make replacements, she can be so selfish sometimes.’ He wittered on, but Wren couldn’t completely register what he was saying. 

This was too much. Roughly shoving the man away, Wren nearly stumbled over as she tried to get away.  _ Too much. Too much.  _ She kept thinking. 

As she left, she looked at no one. Not Robin, Puma or Parson. She just wanted to get out. 

_ Get rid of them.  _

The lone voice in her head rang out. 

 


	26. Chapter 25

Robin leaned against the walls of the room. Saying nothing, she looked over at Puma. Who glared coldly at the door, left open. 

‘That went well.’ Neilo joked. Taking her hand roughly, he walked out of the room. Puma said nothing, but followed him. 

Robin narrowed her eyes. Deciding to leave, she quietly left.  _ I don’t need to hear any more.  _ She thought.  _ I’m going back to the hospital.  _

* * *

 

‘So, I was told you’re going into surgery tomorrow. Make sure not to eat anything, but you can still drink water. Ok?’ Willow said, reading the notes splayed on her lap. She looked up for a second, before going back to her notes. 

‘You hear me?’ She asked. 

Cedric sat in his bed, staring at the air before him. He didn’t respond. His only open eye was dilated and still. After a few seconds, he shook himself and turned to Willow. 

‘Yeah. I did.’ He whispered. 

Willow nodded and sighed lightly. He was  _ different.  _ The attack must’ve affected him more than she originally thought. He seemed sleepy all the time. And this infection came out of nowhere!  _ Though, I’ve never treated something with a wound from a skinwalker.  _ She thought.  _ Maybe this is a effect of it? _

Before she could continue, the door behind her opened. She turned her head around, to see who had entered. Instead of a doctor, it was a man and a younger woman. It was Puma and Neilo. 

‘Can you please leave? We need to speak to Mr Cliford.’ asked Puma.  

‘...Sure.’ replied Willow. She swiftly left. She could hear them speaking to Cedric, but before she could understand it, the door was closed behind her. 

* * *

 

Ellyn looked at the book on her lap. She hadn’t read anymore since Willow nearly walked on her. She needed to be more careful.  _ The stuff in this looks really shady. I don’t want anyone finding this.  _ She wondered, placing a scarred hand onto the charred cover. Remembering what had happened, a shiver rang up her spine, like needles made of ice. They kept on jabbing into her spine. 

‘Just, don’t think about it.’ She willed herself. 

Trying to change the subject, she thought about Wren.  _ She hasn’t come back since last night.  _

She heard footsteps. 

Looking to the doorway, which was open, she saw the back of someone. She had just walked past. All Ellyn had caught was the flash of blue and orange. 

Quickly putting the book under her bed, she sighed deeply. Hopefully that woman hadn’t seen it.  

 

Robin sat inside the hospital gardens, is was getting quiet. Eden didn’t have many quiet places, so she had learned to love these gardens. Everyone kinda knew her, they got used to her strange appearance slowly, but now she could walk without any strange looks. 

* * *

 

Not many people would normally be in the gardens, even in the daytime. So, when everything got too loud, Robin would sit and look at the colourful flowers and plants sprouting all around her. 

Unfortunately, her peace didn’t last long. 

Hearing footsteps, Robin turned around, looking for the source of the noise. Her shoulders dropping in annoyance, she looked over and saw Puma, who was quietly storming through the gardens.

_ What is she doing here?  _ Wondered Robin, who continued to watch the other woman walk past her. She didn’t say anything, so hopefully Puma hadn’t seen her. The gardens were quite large, so it wasn’t hard to keep a small profile. 

Puma walked briskly, her eyes shifting around her. She walked on the borders of the garden, before walking over to the exit on the other side of the garden. 

_ That leads to a dead end. Why is she going there? _ Robin thought, slowly standing up.  _ I need to keep an eye on that girl.  _ She concluded. Slowly walking in the same direction, Robin followed the woman. 

 

* * *

 

Wren had decided to get some fresh air before going back to the hospital, have a look at the city. That  _ place  _ she was at before had stressed her out, she didn’t like it. She did feel guilty with leaving Robin behind, but she couldn’t control herself.  _ I’m going to have to apologize to her later.  _ She decided, creating a mental note. 

She returned to the same cafe that she was at before, it was where she had told Ellyn about the library. Her skin squirmed at the memory of it.  _ Don’t think about it, you’re trying to calm down!  _

She looked over at the cafe, her eyes scanning over everyone there. Suddenly, she noticed someone. Without thinking, she started to walk over. Sitting alone outside the cafe was someone she wanted to meet again, it was Parson. 

She walked over and slowly leaned towards the scaled woman. Though, now she looked pretty different. She obviously had attempted to hide her scales, as she was wearing baggy clothes and a white cloth was carefully draped over her bald head. 

‘Hey Parson.’ Wren said, her mouth becoming uncomfortably dry suddenly. 

Parson widened her eyes, before looking up at the Harpy. ‘Oh. Hello.’ She waved a hand to the chair before her. ‘Sit down, um…’ 

Wren laughed lightly. ‘It’s Wren.’ She quickly sat down, smiling softly at the scaled lady. 

Parson covered her face with her right hand, her face reddening slightly. ‘Ah, I didn’t ask for your name earlier, didn’t I?’ Slightly flustered, she shook her head and quickly took a sip from her cup. Wren was surprised,  _ This is the same lady from before? She seems so normal.. _

Wren turned her head to the side, staring deeply into Parsons yellow eyes. ‘I was wondering, how did you find Ellyn? Where were you?’ 

Parson tensed up slightly, her eyes widening. She quickly looked to the side before exhaling deeply. ‘I uh, saw the fire from behind. I entered from another door.’ She replied, her voice becoming hushed and quiet. 

Wren nodded slowly. ‘Someone shot her.’ 

Parson looked back at Wren, sweat forming on her skin. She didn’t reply, but waited for Wren to continue. 

‘I don’t know who did it, and Ellyn can’t remember clearly. She’s still recovering. She says that she’s fine, but I know the accident affected her deeply.’ Wren narrowed her eyes in thought. ‘She still talks in her sleep.’ 

Parson blinked, before leaning in slightly. ‘Well.. I hope she gets better soon.’ 

Wren blinked away stinging tears, she kept staring at the table. ‘Me too.’ 


End file.
